
Pass /^»^f 



ROSTER 

of 

RICHMOND SOLDIERS 

and 

HISTORY of RICHMOND 
TOWNSHIP 



Bit 

.9 ^ 

REV. W. A. KEESY 

TIFFIN, OHIO 



PRICE BOUND 
Paper, ... 35 Cents 
Cloth, ... 50 Cents 

1908 



"f^^^ 



,1?53 



\^a 




RE\-. W. A. KHESY 



Preface. 

The author has no apology for presenting 
the public with this work. It seems no one else 
would undertake it. He has waited twenty years 
for something like it and now that he is growing 
old and that the old soldiers are passing away, j 

the old settlers gone, and the history being lost, \ 

he is prompted to push it. | 

He is grateful to A. F. Sweetland of the ] 

55th regiment, Co. I. for the roster, Edward •] 

Franklin, Co. I. 55th regiment, O. V. V. I. and j 

Doctor E. V. Buckingham, M. D., for help ren- \ 

dered. i 

It can readily be seen that the scope of sale, 
so limited, presents no financial temptation. But 
it will be a souvenir to generations yet to come 
and we make the sacrifice. 

The Author. 



THE LANING COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 
NORWALK - - OHIO 



Contents. 



PAGE 

Preface 3 

Chap. I. Ohio — Huron County 12 

Chap. II. Richmond Township — Description — 

Marsh Notes 18 

jChap. III. Early Settlers, Industries and 

Churches 22 

Chap. IV. Clearing Farms — Threshing — R a p- 
ping Spirits — Water and Gas — 
Johnney Appleseed 33 

Chap. V. Primitive Schools — Teachers — Minis- 
ters — Doctors — Lawyers — 
Circuit Rider 43 

Chap. VI. Selections 51 

Chap. VII. Coon Hunting — Curious Find — In- 
dians — Oflacers — Sugar Camp — 
Lincoln's Assassination — Re- 
ceipts — Sundries 73 

Chap. VIII. Closing Chapter 87 



(0 

o o 

•a . 

§< 
is 

*- > 
13 a^ 









v) o 
to c 

O 3 



bo 



Company. 



T3 41 
4* o 



wen 



CO 

O 



d 

d 
a 
< 



>H o o 

1) o >-• 

^ a f^ 



10' »o 


Aug. 18, '61 
Aug. 4, '65. 
June 5, '65. 


•-> 


Junel2, '65. 
Dec. 9, '63. 
June 12, '64. 
Aug. 27, '64 
Aug. 20, '65 
June 16, '65 


• CM 

•VO 


So 

5£ 


Private . . 
Private.. 
Private. . 




Oh 


• *n *Ih x* c 'c 'c 'Jh 'C 

:op^pHciHpupLHpL,pLHei. 



WW •-• :^* 

>> >5> 

do 0^0 

rH ,-H CO ro r<5 



• Cfl • . • (-( • > . I-H l-( 

(M<!;(N]C\](NJVO(NI'OCVJCgCNJ 

^t-JT-irOr-ii-lrDCMrO'-iT-H 



S^ Qfe^* 0«ciQOCiQ<QWW 



c^ '-'oiQ. biobitibibbic^^ bJo js bi bJo bio 






^S 



tW CD 



1^ 



D a; K^ i-M »— > 4j CO 
-<-»■»-• .. -. «*J *— » 

C C fl C fl G - 
3J 1* O O O !> >. 
CX Cl< CO CO CO a 0) 

Ih W Vh Wi tH li CO 



X3 
O 
O 

G _ 



co^ 



G G 
CO CO 



pqmpq OUUOUUUUUUO 



*^ 


^ 


^ 






bo 


^u 

tA 






> C «3 




car. 

arBi 

Ga. 


1 — iCJ 




2-^ 


5 ^ >; 


o 




v 


o; (U 


^^ 




a 


v^^ 


•^ 


r^ ^ 


ons 




an^co 


w 


MM 


M 


M 


o 


MM 


to • 


lO • 


fO 


• • • • ,A -^ 


lO 


lo lo Tt eg • • CM lo lo 


vOtI- 


\D rO 


VO 


iOLOiOTt"5»OTt-^ 


vO 


VOvOVDvOTfThvOvOvO 


- KD 


" vo 








-'s 


-^-: 


»— 1 


-V^'aT^^^'S-'^ 


CM 


TH^CM^OOlOrH,-! 




!;i n 










^^ 




^^,^^%^^,B, 


• • 






+j ^ • 




• • • ^ 


U (U 


ID 11 


o 




i» 


w, <iJ dj £ a; a; (U a) o 












ca cd 


03 rt 


nj 


n1 


>■ > 


> > 


> 


> 


















Vh 


C(JU(t-OUiVHW(lH>H 


p.> 


^PLH 


P. 


pL,pL,PUPuC4C/:Ofl. 


CLi 


pHPHPnUClHplHpmlHflH 




♦-H hH 


»— I t— < 


hH 




HH* 


; i-J i ! >-h' h-J i-i hH h-t 

t-H hH 


>> 


>> 


> 


> > > ^ > > > > 


> 


>>^^>>>>> 


oo 


do 


6 


6 d 6 *-^ <^ o" d 6 


6 


^.o^^dodoo 


'^:s 


^T3 


■73 


a 


OtJ^^^^x:^^ 






rO 






r^'T3'T:J-4->+J-(->-M-M 


<M Cs] 


"o og 


CM 


lOiOTJ-vOCNirvlCNICO 


lO 


^dCvltNlCMiOlotOTt^ 



lO ,-( ,-H 



WW 


WW 


hH 


HH'MQH'eQCJM^' t-H* ^OQQCJ^'^'PQ 




T-H <NI 


CM 


^ 1-1 -* '^ ro CO CM CM ,-1 CM ro •-• '-^ i-H i-t "-J "^ ■* 



b4).o 

;3 1) 

<1W 



o< 



O (U ^J2 <l^ S 3 S 



rC -'^oaCt^.t.Vo-^-^ 



"> ;3 0, ;3 pl _0 O P Sj - 



<! Q <i <i ^ C ^ C/2 02 



tn (A 

CS c< 






•tJ o 



cx*n 



a ^o 



c ' -o:;3 i5 S o 

►^OJi.>-i>^ «^^.^ — — — - 



ID h2,Sk^ 



C/2 
S 

s o 

■^^ 

CO 

o o 

WW 



73 O "^ 
O CO fc 



b/) N 

3 O 

WW 



i-i 
vi 

XI 
u 



Q ^^^ QQ 

r1 • • ... .... 

t:(U. V V ij <uaj(u<L) D(L)a;(i>a; 

wf.^ • .^.^.^ .^.^ >.^ .^.^.^.^.^ 

a> *»H I *u 'C 'C 'C 'C 'C C *n 'u 'u 'u 'u 

m:u . PU PL| Ph Pli Ah fi^ Pu gLi CL, Ph Ph Cu 

t— 1»— (M I— It— (h- 1 >— II— ( • . >— 1>— 11— Ih- Ih-t 

. ^< . . . . . 

>>> >>> >>•. >>>>> 

' r^ • • ■ W ..... 

0^0 000 OOq • ooooo 

ij Tt- 'tl v2 ii "ti +j 1j tj 4_, "tj ti ro ro ti 

vOt-IVO lOiOvO lOVOfOi-l lOvO»-l»-IVO 



a 

a; 



Company. 



pq KHhHO ^Q^S i-hUOOU 



WW 



O y o 



O (U (U j3 



6 > b«x5 4.; 

4* O ;3 (U O 




s 

cj M y 
■«-» J-l +J 

;3 1» 3 

WWW 



S^^^S 



lo - ^:> 

^■^m' ^t3 go) 

^^' .'^.^ u< ^ 

^^ 'CI §:^ ^^ O- ni! 

o- ~ <u F,)P CU:S JH a; 

"C . lo lO lO lO Tj- -rf lO cT^~rj • Tf »0 ^ CM Tf rO ^ tJ- lO 'd" -* rO 

b!iovO^'0>0 vOvO^ v£)v£)\0 -^vO^ vDvO^^ VO^vOvO^ 

^ ^--^^f :5 i::^ ^ ^^-^^ g^2^-S^^" ^^;:^^ ^^S I ^ 

; ^ i ^ ^^^ i \ \ i i ! i i i ! i-^ \ ; i ! i T^ \ 

ajv^djijaj^ oiaJdJ a;(UDiJi;(ua; ^ v <u v o <v v r^ ^ 

.^ S".^ .^ .^ £" .^ .^ .^ .^ .^ .B: .^ .^ .^ .^ rt^.^.^,^ .^.^.^ rt.^ 

"u o "C *c 'C o 'c *c 'c 'C 'u "u "u 'u 'u 'u <^ "u "u "u 'u *n "u Kj. *n 

Ah O Ah A^ Ph U PU( PU Ah Ah Ah A^ Ah Ah Ah Ai |> Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah t> Ah 

• • -HHt— (I— I I— (>-(h- 1 I— ( • •»-(•— I *l— I t— (I— (!—((—( t— li-J)— I .M-( 

HH ,rff4 ^<H L J k J , ^_^ 

• . .odd odd o^^dd^d qOqo 666^6 

Td H-. H-. i! fO ro i'ti^ iJ nd T; :3 5 CO ±i '^ co ^ tStJiiTJco 

(NiajCfi-^COCM iOOn^ iO(NlCMlOra-'T3(NI u~) \0 rsi \D »OLO-<^(NI(N1 

fOi— IrHVOi— (tH rg-^i-H lOfOfOu-jvOfOrH lO'— I'— ('"H vOvOvOrO'— * 

lO CO rO tJ- rO oq ^"i^H ^ • t-I ,-1 -^ t^J- Tt CM '• Tog '■ '• '• • y-i (M 
^^^^^^ ^«VOvO------ VO-^'-'^t-Tl-r-HVO'-- 

^QQccQ<1 AcoS ^<<;pLHt/3P^piH 0^<S ^00<K 

CO i-H O eg Tt ON 00 t^ O On ON ^ Tt <M OO 00 (N» t^ t-I O lO 00 O lO fO 

(NJCvIcgcOCqi— I (MtMfO lOTHCMfOfOrHTH fOCslCM-^ cO^-lfOCvJCM 



o y u 









4^ ,H 



C/2 



iiJU ^^J2 ^-^- 



;:^ ;::; ::^ mm 



4> o; 



o o 

Ah Ah 



W 



o .§0 
O J' So 1- 

ti;::,i*! P- 

Ah Ah Ah P-< 



bi)M a. 5 

O S 03 D 

A^P^P^Ai 






R C i) i; i> 

Ctf ^ H-l H-> ^ 



13 

bo 



§ 5 ^ 






I- g .S > "2 +; 



" <n r^ CO 2 t-" T ""^ 

^-\ K/ ,^ /^ r\ •-yk>i/^> 



Q MC/2QQ :zj|^QH:r 

Tt to lO T*- LO . CM lO • Tl- CM lO 









^ 0,5 a> S o « 



Company. 






.^ .^ .^ ,^ .E: .^ .^ .^ .^ .^ u^ .^ .^ Ef &.S; 

"u "C "u. 'u "55 "u "C "u 'C "C 'u o'u'u'u K o *C 



ooo .6 odd 

(MCVJCO tflTj-LOCMto 
»— IrHrHi— (VO^T— ILO 



d 'Oo*^ 6 o'^ 66 

LO wO^LO'^:!(Nl0^^lOlO 
vOi-i^LorO'-i'^'-i'OiO 



dc5W^<id^'!iluS 



(M CM (M rO • • CM ■* 

'OvOvOvOt— (1-HVDvO 

"-I tH "-I CM CO 00 ^ I 

bi) bJo bi) >^ -»-» ^' bi) 

J3 13 S "3 ^ O H! 









fiiaWOMM 



,-1 ^ (Nl ,-H . ,-( T-H 
VO vO vO v£) ^ 'O vO 
- ' - - VO " ^ 

c/: o: •< (/} ^ ;z; 03 






OJ iU 



tfxm 



CO CO 03 C/}! 



C^2 ^ «5 a 

c O 'XJ 5 ^ T3 TS 
tn CXii "52 :33 

D 0^ 4J S3 0) l* 1> 



(A 

c c c 

,d ^ ,x3 ,^1 K-> K-,^ ^^ ^ ^ 






P^'1 






M 



p w 



VO VD 


•<^ lO to Td- »o 

VD VD vO ^ ^ 




vO VO • vO VO 


to lO lO to 

VD vO VO vO 


CM to • 

VO VO • 


Xf^"" 


^^ri''*'^'^^' 


ro" 


^"^ :-^ 


to* to" irTvrr 

(M (M CM 1-H 


^'2 : 




> bi) bi) o bi 
o :3 {3 <u Hi 


1> 

a 


Mar. 
Mar. 

June 
Sept 


^ ^ ^ ^ 




1| 


• • • • -M 

i ii i i 1 

rt c3 rt c3 jw 

> > > >^ 


> 


ivate . . 
ivate . . 
rporal 
ivate . . 
ivate. . 


ivate. . 
rgeant 
ivate. . 
ivate . . 


ivate. . 
ivate . . 
ivate . . 


Ph CO 


j^ n c iH (]j 

pL, Ph Ph Pi C/2 


u 


Vh Vh O Vh )-i 


iH O-P 1-1 »H 

PL, C/3 Ph Ph 


PhPhPh 



<> 
65 



■^ CM 



66>6> 



>> ' 

r^^rd +J ti VD 
Cvl CM C« ^O vO 
fO rO 1— I ^'^ T-H 



'^. '^. '^. d odd 

.*-> -u -u -*-• -^ ^ ±^ 

tc yj 17} 10 g^ ^1 2^ 



idfin'cip^ W QP^h-lQ g^Sd 



^ 10 VO »-i VO 
vO vD -- VO ^ 



CM 'nO VO tH ■* 



i-H -rH t-^ 



" ^"w-T^COrH 



o a> D '^ u 

:z;tL, c«Oco 






WWW 



CO rO fO -^ '"' "^J '^ 
vO vO VO VO VO vO VO 




oovpco^co ro ^oo^cor;- £;;SS;;5 22^ 



p^ : 

|| 

02 CO 






,11 CO 



w£< 
000 

- en tn 03 

3 S S 
000 



a 

'Hi) 
o 
> 



^ : : 
?^ fl >- 

ni jH ""i CO -M 

m tn £« •"^ iO 

03 2 2 O r^ 

•.i; _t Uh 5fl o 



c 
o 

J 6 






co>-». 



bioC 






^^^ 



o 

B e 

s e 
s a 



12 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 



CHAPTER I. 

The foregoing roster will account for most of the 
contents, and why this book is written. And we only 
need to add here that the thrilling scenes leading 
up to the civil war can briefly be summed up as fol- 
lows: 

The desire to extend human slavery. That in- 
famous institution, the "Sum of all villianies." 

The Dred Scott decision, by the courts, in which 
humanity was outraged. 

The civil war of Kansas, caused by an effort to 
make Kansas a slave state. 

The John Brown raid on and capture of Harpers 
Ferry. 

Inflammatory speeches made both in the north 
and south. 

The political pot was boiling over when, in 1860, 
Abraham Lincoln was elected president. And the 
southern states began to secede from the federal 
union. Secession had been advocated by Jefferson 
Davis and others, in the national congress prior to 
the war, for ten years. 

Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated president on 
March 4, 1861. 

On the twelfth of April, 1861, Fort Sumpter was 
fired upon. On the fifteenth day of April the presi- 
dent called for 75,000 three-months' troops, to put 
down the rebellion. But this war storm increased 



History of Richmond Township. 13 

so furiously that on May the third he called for 
500,000 three-years' men to save the Union. 

That Richmond did her part nobly in the mighty 
conflict of four years' struggle which ensued, we must 
first consider that there were called into the Union 
army in those four years, 2,859,132 men of which 
Ohio furnished 319,659 and Richmond township, out 
of a population of 900, puts into the field, as the 
roster will show, 112 men. Now Ohio has eighty- 
eight counties. She has 1,357 townships, but most 
of them, not like Richmond, have large cities or vil- 
lages at most where population was heavier. 

There were 2,208 land and fifty naval engage- 
ments during that war, making a total of 2,258 en- 
gagements. 

The adjutant general's report shows the whole 
number of deaths in that army up to 1870 to be 
303,504. 

Killed outright 60,000. Such battles as Chicka- 
mauga, Nashville, The Wilderness, Antietam, Fred- 
ricksburg, Stone River, Gettysburg and Franklin were 
awful to contemplate, and are no more appreciated 
today than a skirmish is to a real battle. 

THE STATE OF OHIO. 

By the treaty with Great Britian, her rights were 
relinquished in the Northwest Territory and the 
United States assumed control, acknowledging the 
claim made by Virginia of 3,709,848 acres of land near 
the Rapids of the Ohio, and a similar claim made by 
Connecticut of 3,666,621 acres near Lake Erie which 
became known as the Western Reserve. 



14 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

In 1787 congress passed the ordinance creating 
the "Northwest Territory," creating the first common- 
wealth in the world, whose organic law recognized 
every man as free and equal. 

The first permanent settlement was made at 
Marietta, in 1788, under the ordinance, by Officers 
of the Revolution Army. 

In 1800 congress divided the Northwest Terri- 
tory into two governments, the seat of the eastern 
government being Chillicothe. 

November 29, 1802, a constitution of state gov- 
ernment was ratified, and on February 19, 1803, the 
constitution was ratified by congress, admitting the 
state of Ohio as the seventeenth state of the Union 
in order of admission. 

The seat of government was at Chillicothe until 
1810, it was then moved to Zanesville until 1812, 
when it was returned to Chillicothe until 1816, when 
it found its present, permanent location at Columbus. 

Ohio has 88 counties. 

Ohio has 1,357 townships. 

OHIO. 

"The sun never shown on a country more fair 

Than beautiful, peerless Ohio. 
There's life in a kiss of her rarified air, 

Ohio, prolific Ohio. 
Her sons are valiant and noble and bright. 
Her beautiful daughters are just about right, 
And her babies, God bless them, are clear out of 
sight — 

That crop never fails in Ohio. 



History of Richmond Township. 15 

"Our homes are alight with a halo of love, 

Ohio, contented Onio. 
We bask in the smiles of the heavens above — 

No clouds ever darken Ohio. 
Our grain waves its billows of gold in the sun, 
The fruits of our orchards are equaled by none, 
And our pumpkins, some of them, weighing a ton — 

We challenge the world in Ohio. 

"Our girls are sweet models of maidenly grace, 
They are perfect in figure and lovely in face. 

That's what they are in Ohio. 
Their smiles are bewitching and winning and sweet, 
Their dresses are stylish, yet modest and neat, 
A Trilby would envy their cute little feet. 

In beautiful, peerless Ohio. 

"When the burdens of life I am called to lay down, 

I hope I may die in Ohio. 
I never could ask a more glorious crown. 

Than one of the sod in Ohio. 
And when the last trump wakes the land and the sea. 
And the tombs of the earth set their prisoners free, 
You may all go aloft if you choose, but for me — 

I think I'll stay in Ohio." 

HURON COUNTY. 

Huron county formed February 7, 1809, and or- 
ganized in 1815. 

It originally constituted the whole of the Fire 
Lands. 

The site of Norwalk was first visited by the Hon. 



16 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

Elias Whittlesey, Piatt Benedict and two others, in 
October, 1815. 

In 1817 Piatt Benedict built the first log cabin 
where Norwalk now stands. In May, after, Norwalk 
was made the county seat. 

In 1819 two Indians were executed for murder 
at Norwalk. Their names were Ne-go-sheck and Ne- 
gon-a-ba. 

As it is not our purpose to give a history of 
the county here, I will subjoin a list of the town- 
ships in the county and dismiss it. 

1840 1880 

Bronson 1291 1092 

Clarksfield 1473 1042 

Fairfield 1067 1359 

Pitchville 1294 822 

Greenfield 1460 900 

Greenwich 1067 1376 

Hartland 925 954 

Lyme 1318 2575 

New Haven 1270 1807 

New London 1218 1764 

Norwich 676 1157 

Norwalk 2613 7078 

Peru 1998 1194 

Richmond 306 1014 

Ridgefield . .♦ 1599 2359 

Ripley 804 1038 

Ruggles* 1244 

♦Ruggles has since been detached from Huron 
and given to Ashland county, leaving Huron nineteen 
townships. Richmond township was set off from New 
Haven in 1835. 



History of Richmond Township. 17 

1840 1880 

Sherman 692 1223 

Townsend 868 1405 

Wakeman 702 1450 



18 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

CHAPTER II. 

RICHMOND TOWNSHIP— DESCRIPTION. 

Richmond is the southwest corner township of 
Huron county, Ohio. The south half, or nearly so, is 
a marsh, called the New Haven marsh. ' It is about 
ten miles in extent, east and west, and about five 
miles north and south. The ground or surface of 
this marsh is a mushy, slushy muck, created by the 
enormous growth of vegetation and the water held 
intact. This is so soft that an ox or horse would 
mire right down in it. It will be readily seen, there- 
fore, that the marsh one-half of Richmond is un- 
tenantable and this, with no village, will account for 
the small population of the township at the time of 
the war. 

Now this marsh was composed of three useful 
sections, viz.: one-third or about that was called the 
hay marsh. When yet in the commons, and free 
to the public, I have seen from 500 to 1,000 hay stacks 
on it. When mowing time came, whoever wanted to 
could go in and mow. Then when cured, the hay had 
to be carried to the stack by hand. Here it was 
left unmolested (except by storm or fire) until win- 
ter froze the bottom so a team with sled could be 
taken on and loaded down. 

The early wild hay was of poor quality, and only 
used in emergency, the small clearings yet furnishing 
but small acreage of tame hay. 

About one-third of this marsh was known as 



History of [Richmond Township. 19 

the cranberry marsh. This yielded thousands of 
bushels of cranberries in a season. It was usually 
raked over flrst, then the remaining berries were 
gathered by hand. 

MARSH NOTES. 

My father, John Keesy (Geesy), gathered twenty- 
four bushels of cranberries, before he ate his break- 
fast, one morning. 

Ezekiel Buckingham gathered sixty bushels in 
one day. 

Doctor E. V. Buckingham dug up on this marsh, 
the tooth of a mastodon, which weighed three pounds 
and seven ounces. He also found a rib which meas- 
ured three feet in length. 

About one-third of this marsh was covered with 
whortleberry bushes, maple trees and undergrowth 
of bushes, and was known as the "Pigeon Roost" or 
Whortleberry marsh. 

This yielded thousands of bushels of berries an- 
nually, and was a great source of revenue for those 
who lived in the adjacent country. 

The maple trees were sometimes even broken 
down by the weight of the teeming myriads of wild 
pigeons flocking there to roost by night. I have 
seen the skies darkened from three o'clock until dark, 
by the millions of pigeons coming from their feeding 
ground up north, the beach wood and green field, 
to their roost in the marsh. So in the morning on 
their return. 

People would come from fifteen miles around to 



20 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

go in the roost at night and kill and sack off these 
birds. 

Wilson Moore, a ditcher, says he Rilled twenty- 
one massasoggers, (rattle snakes) in one day, and 
it was not a very good day for "soggers" either. 

Charley Thompson was lost on this marsh for 
nearly a week, just after the civil w«ar; the writer 
with nearly 100 men hunted two days for him. Hav- 
ing gotten off on the south side he was rescued near 
New Washington in Crawford county. 

In dry seasons, frequently, a wall of fire miles 
in length could be seen sweeping across this marsh, 
terrifying the border settlers, endangering anything 
in its path. 

The Honey Creek on the west, flowing into the 
Sandusky river near Tiffin, which in turn empties 
into Sandusky Bay at Fremont and the Marsh Run 
on the east, which empties into Huron river in New 
Haven township, and in turn reaches the lake at 
Huron, furnish outlet for the waters of this marsh. 
The numerous ditches turned into these have trans- 
formed this wilderness into a very garden of beauty 
and it will be a joy forever. 

A small colony of Hollanders have built a village 
at the intersection of the muck and dry land, on the 
township line between Richmond and New Haven 
and are caring for hundreds of acres of celery, onions, 
potatoes and garden truck of all kinds. This now is 
the Excelsior. 

Eureka, they have built a church, have a school 
house, are a very religious people, and are shipping 
their produce in car loads from this Elderado while 



History of Richmond Township, 2t 

the very muck is now turned into a very marketable 
and profitable commerce. 

The north half of Richmond township was cov- 
ered with dense forest of heavy timber, the white 
oak being the monarch of the forest, hickory, 
beech, maple, bass-wood and ash in abundance, a 
variety of others such as sycamore, buckeye, elm, 
black ash, etc., interspersed with a few locust, iron- 
wood, dogwood, gum walnut, poplar and burr-oak. 

The soil is a rather heavy, though fertile clay, 
and the rock almost invariably lies one hundred feet 
beneath blue clay or hard pan. The surface when 
properly tilled, tiled and fertilized is a very pro- 
ductive loam. But I am anticipating. 

The early settlers here found wild game in abun- 
dance. The wild turkey, wild geese, ducks, pheasants, 
the deer, bear, raccoon, o'possum, the fox, gray, black 
and red squirrel, ground hog, mink, panther, wolves 
and Indians. 

The rattle snake, with numerous kinds of less 
harmful reptiles, was in evidence then. 

This early game was hard on the farmers' small 
fields of corn, wheat and grain, but this in turn 
enticed and drew these fattening creatures in range 
of his unerring and fatal rifle. Thus a fair exchange 
was rendered both. 



22 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 



CHAPTER III. 

EARLY SETTLERS, INDUSTRIES, CHURCHES. 

There were three men, probably brothers, by the 
name of Schofield, who were the first to take up 
their abode in Richmond. They settled on the edge 
of the marsh. 

A Mr. Navel came next. He settled on what has 
since been known as the Bzekiel Buckingham farm. 
He had a little hand double burred mill and as 
settlers came in they would dry their corn and take 
it there to grind by hand. Mr. Ed. Franklin tells 
me that he helped turn this mill. 

Then came Packard and Lake and settled on 
what became known as the Daniel Sykes farm. A 
man and family next settled nearby on the Kirk- 
wood farm and then Jas. Young settled down on 
the hill just east of the Catholic cemetery near the 
New Haven line. Hutchinsons came in 1836, Reuben 
Franklin came in 1835, the Hutchinsons in 1836, 
Daniel Sykes in 1837, Ezekiel Buckingham in 1842, 
John Keesy (Geesy) in 1842, Daniel Sweetland on 
Jan. 1, 1848, Andrew being five years old at the, time, 
Nathan and Benjamin Tanner with others in the 
early forties. 

I herewith give a list of the settlers of Rich- 
mond from memory up to the civil war. Pardon any 
omission. 



History of Richmond Township. 



23 



Andrews. 


Dicks. 




Ditto. 


Burlin. 


Dole. 


Buckingham. 




Boyles. 


Esterline. 


Beamer. 


Ebinger. 


Bronson. 


Eversole. 


Barrels. 




Briggs. 


Frederick. 


Bishop. 


Fetterhoof. 


Beelman. 


Fosters. 


Brubaker. 


Foglesong. 


Biuerle. 


Finks. 


Bash. 


Fuller. 


Bessie. 


Facklers. 


Brant. 


Fox. 


Baughman. 


Fast. 




Fulmer. 


Courtright. 




Cline. 


Gribben. 


Croninger. 


Gurney. 


Carpenter. 


Gardner. 


Channing. 




Cole. 


Hungerford. 


Crothers. 


Hutchinson, 


Carsons. 


Hoyles. 


Clark. 


Hahns. 


Crawford. 


Hord. 




Hershiser. 


Dunster. 


Hicks. 


Draher. 


Hough. 


Day. 




Dawson. 


JuniD. 



24 



Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 



Johnson. 


Pond. 


Jacoby, Rev. 


Plank. 


Jackson. 


Piatt. 




Pollinger. 


Keesy. 


Posts. 


Koder. 


Palmer. 


Kelly. 


Pressler. 




Parks. 


Lutts. 


Pearch. 


Lewis. 




Loggerson. 


Ringle. 


Lane, Rev. 


Rice. 




Randies. 


McKittric. 


Resh. 


Markley. 


Riddle. 


McBride. 


Robinsons. 


McMaster. 


Roopely. 


Motters. 


Reiner 


Moores. 


Rogers. 


Millers. 


Rittenhouse. 


Mowen, Rev. 




Mohler. 


Steels. 


Mongold. 


Sweetland. 




Shoup. 


Newman 


Sciser. 


Nesbitt. 


Sparks. 


Navel. 


Spencers. 




Sheely. 


Ogden. 


Staley. 


Oliman. 


Shineberger. 




Shanks. 


Peckingpaugh. 


Snyder. 


Pitts. 


Sage. 



History of [Richmond Township. 25 

Seavolt. Waltz. 

Shrieves. Wolf. 

Swartz. Waull. 

Slater. Williams. 

Willoughby. 

Tanners. Weaver. 
Thompsons. 

Thorley. Yetters. 



Upp. 



Yeager. 
Zimmerman. 



The first schoolhouse was built on the Daniel 
Sykes farm. The second, one mile north of the cen- 
ter, on the Tiffin road and on the northeast corner. 
Both frame and built by Daniel Franklin, his father 
being the contractor. 

The state of Ohio, cut out, or opened up the 
Tiffin road in 1831-2, across the township from east 
to west, running one mile north of the center. This 
was done to accommodate the heavy emigration al- 
ready setting in for the west. In after years in the 
fall and spring, scarcely ten minutes of the day 
would pass but that you could count from one to 
a dozen or more covered wagons, called flittens, pass- 
ing along on this road enroute for the west. The 
wagons were mostly the old "Prairie Schooner" style 
and had a capacity for tons. 

Willard Pond, a very disreputable character, 
having a son named Luther, and his father's equal in 
depravity, has the distinction of keeping the first 
tavern in Richmond. He first occupied a double log 
house, located on Tiffin road one mile north of the 
center and on the northwest corner. The weary 



26 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

traveler found lodging with him and rumor had it 
that some lodged to stay. 

Michael Lutts also kept a tavern about a half 
mile east of the Seneca county line on the Tiffin 
road. This was a great rendezvous for dances, shoot- 
ing matches and raffling bees so prevalent in those 
days. Tavern called "The Buckhorn." 

Abram Pollinger, later, kept a "Travelers' Home," 
just the next farm east of the Lutts' tavern. This was 
run under temperance principles. 

Amos Ogden erected the first saw mill (of the 
old sash saw style), which did a great business. It 
was located in the hollow on the south side of the 
Tiffin road just west of New Haven line. 

William Coe came next and built a mill two 
miles north of the center. This was the first muley 
saw for this new country and did a great business. 

John F. Miller and D. Y. Fink had a good mill 
about three miles west of the Coe mill where Frank 
Keesy now lives, later. 

About this time the Sandusky-Mansfield railroad 
was built across the northeast corner of Richmond 
and although the township got no depot, it got a 
market for cord wood and timber, as all the engines, 
shops and stoves burned wood. 

Then the Mad River railroad was built which 
made a market and furnished employment so that 
the forests awoke from their long slumber. 

Old Mr. Cole and his son, Newman, established 
a steam plant at the center of Richmond and com- 
menced the manufacture of chairs. A few wagon- 
loads were sent upon the market, but the plant was 
never put upon a paying basis and soon went down. 



History of Richmond Township. 27 

Jones Fackler did the public blacksmithing for a 
time. His plant was on the center road near the 
New Haven line. 

Then came Mr. John Fink on TiflBn road near 
Seneca county line. For that day he was a first class 
mechanic. He was followed in blacksmithing by a 
Mr. Lusk whose plant could be found on center road 
three miles north of the center, where he did a lively 
business. 

Robert Moore was a grain cradle manufacturer. 
He turned out a first class machine and the name 
"Moore's cradle" would insure a sale. 

Billy Johnson was the only early settler who 
could make and properly hang the ox yoke, an 
important wooden harness for the ox teams, more 
numerous than horses in that day. 

Hiram Snyder turned out a good yoke in after 
days. 

John H. Keesy and Sadoc Hungerford were the 
successful ax helve makers. 

Wm. Post and Luther Moore, violinists. Jacob 
Croninger, squirrel and turkey hunter. Solomon Wil- 
liams and — Randies made guns. N. M. Keesy and 
Arch. Riddle were famous for handling oxen, es- 
pecially in clearing. Skill was required in logging. 

Reuben Franklin was the first justice of 
the peace. Huriah Robinson, Daniel Sweetland, 
Joseph H. Beelman, John Keesy, Jerry Williams, Wm. 
Jump also held the above named office with credit. 

Old Messrs. Fetterhoof and Koder each brought 
the old fashioned Pennsylvania wagon called 
"Prairie Schooner," with him to Richmond. 

It is claimed that the last bear killed in the 



28 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

township was killed on Daniel Sweetland's farm. 
The tree on which it was shot, a burr oak, called 
from the incident, the ''Old Ben Tree,'' was left 
standing until the B. & O. railroad was built in 1872, 
when their right of way enclosed it and it was cut 
down. ^ 

In the early forties, before the Republican party 
was fully launched, there were eight Whigs, Benja- 
min Tanner, Ed. Franklin, Daniel Sykes, Lewis 
Kirkwood, Wm, Jump, Robert Moore, Daniel Sweet- 
land and John Keesy. These all planted firmly on 
the Republican platform when the Whig party died. 

The last wild deer was killed by Peter B. F. 
Keesy on the line which is now between Wm. Eitle 
and John H. Keesy's farms, about midway between 
the Tiffin and Center roads. It had been wounded 
before Peter got it. 

I saw a drove, or flock, of not less than 500 wild 
turkeys, when a boy, cross the Tiffin road rapidly 
headed southward toward the marsh. 

People in those days had to let most of their 
stock run loose in the woods. This required a special 
mark, for each owner's stock which had to be re- 
corded with the township clerk. My father's recorded 
mark was the tip off the left and swallow fork in 
the right ear. 

Hogs would live and fatten on the shack in the 
woods, stray away and get wild. People would take 
dog and gun, go into the hog swamp and secure 
their winter meat. 

Aunt Martha Jane Feasel tells me that she 
has yoked up the oxen for the purpose of hauling 



History of Richmond Township. 29 

wood, sap or logs, going to mill and other uses, 
many a time. 

When a boy I have gone six miles with my 
mother to pull flax. When dry enough we had to 
pound the seed off, then we could take the straw 
home, rot, break, smoke, skutch, heckel, hleech it 
and then mother would spin it on the little wheel; 
when it was nearly ready for the loom. After it had 
gone through the loom and by the weaver was thus 
converted into cloth, mother would now make towels, 
garments and domestic goods out of it. 

The first effort at church erection by the people 
of Richmond centered in a location on the Tiffin 
road one mile north and a half mile west of the 
center, on what was then Philemon Llghtsland. The 
citizens turned out, hewed logs, and erected the body 
of a hewed log house up to the gable ends where 
the roof commences. There then the body stood for 
a few years and finally was abandoned altogether. 
The writer well remembers when Peter Nesbitt after- 
wards hauled those logs a mile north and erected 
his dwelling house out of them, on the northwest cor- 
ner of the crossing. 

Next the United Brethren commenced the erection 
of a frame building on the Upp farm, on Tiffin road. 
This building was finished and did good service for a 
long while, serving at least two generations. The 
building was finally sold to the German Baptist, and 
is now doing service as a barn for William Cox, at 
the center. In the erection of this building a cir- 
cumstance occurred which I may relate here. A 
young man by the name of William Spencer was 
mounting a young horse for the purpose of riding 



30 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

to the Lutts Tavern to get a broad ax that was there, 
which was needed for hewing the timber for the new 
church. The colt reared and fell and William was 
injured and died, with the reins in his hands, not 
knowing' how badly he was hurt. This was an awful 
shock to the community. 

Next the German Lutherans built a frame church 
two miles north and a mile and a half east of the 
center, under the auspices of their pastor, Rev. 
Smokerover. He was a man of fine physique, a number 
one violinist and an eloquent orator. I remember the 
long list of charter members present at the laying 
of the corner stone, nearly all of whom have passed 
to scenes beyond, and yet the church still stands as 
a monument of Christian enterprise and loyalty. 

The Union Bethel, by the people, came next. It 
is located at the cemetery east of the Seneca county 
line, and is too modern to properly belong to these 
pages. 

Of course the pioneer preacher is not to be out- 
done in the advance of civilization. He, too, is on 
hand in the persons of Rev. M. Long, United Brethern 
and Rev. S. Allen, Episcopal Methodist, the former 
preaching in my father's house before I was born. 
The latter (after whom I was named, though they got 
my name William Allen while his was Samuel Allen) 
holding the first revival meeting in the same log 
cabin or near by in a school house; tradition being a 
little uncertain here. 

About fifty years ago Rev. Samuel Jaeoby, a 
United Brethren minister, held a series of meetings 
in the old Richmond church, which revolutionized 



History of Richmond Township. 31 

the religious phase of society, there being over eighty- 
five conversions, largely heads of families; for that 
day it was so thorough as to claim nearly all the 
homes. There had been before and have been since 
great meetings Ibeld by the different churches in the 
township, but nothing so sweeping. 

On April 6th, 1830, the church of the Latter Day 
Saints was organized in the town of Manchester, N. 
Y. This body, known as the Mormons, soon after 
emigrated in a wandering way and landed in Jackson* 
county, Mo. After four years of persecution here, 
they were compelled to remove. Smith who was at 
the head as well as the founder of this sect, now se- 
lected a spot in Illinois, which he called Nauvoo or 
the New Jerusalem. Here they prospered and in- 
creased to 15,000 inhabitants. But the prosperity 
rendered them quarrelsome. Joseph Smith was 
lodged in jail at a town called Carthage. A mob sur- 
rounded the jail on June 27, 1844, and Smith was 
shot. Brigham Young succeeded to the leadership 
and being in supreme authority, in 1847 he with four 
thousand of all ages and both sex, reached Salt 
Lake Valley in Utah, and we have that canker on our 
civilization now called Mormons. On their way to 
their promised land they camped by the Huron river 
near New Haven and baptized by immersion. They 
evidently passed through Richmond. A tradition, 
which I well recollect, had it that some of their wagons 
were loaded with boxes (suiting the purpose) which 
they called coffins, but which contained guns and am- 
munition. At all events no small stir ensued at their 
efforts in proselyting and they had show of success, 



32 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

for their zeal knew no bounds. I dare not further 
digress here, but if it is desired, a future chapter 
may set before the reader some of their polygamous, 
danite, blood atonement and heathenish idolatrous 
practice. • 



"I've a good notion," said Plodding Pete, "to 
join dis forestry association." 

"What fur?" 

"I want de trees preserved in all deir venerable 
beauty. I want to see de monachs of de wilderness 
left undisturbed in deir peaceful majesty. It's time 
dis practice of handin' a man an ax an' tellin' him 
to chop wood was stopped." — Washington Star. 



History of Richmond Township, 33 



CHAPTER IV. 

CLEARING FARMS— THRESHING— RAPPING 
SPIRITS— WATER AND GAS. 

To get a fairer view of the pioneer day we must 
eliminate the sewing machine, threshing machine, 
mowing machine, reaper, organ, the graphophone, tele- 
phone, wireless telegraphy, air ship, submarine boat, 
iron clad boat, machine gun, liquid air. X-rays, trolley 
cars, kodak work, wire fences, stately mansions, cook 
stove, furnace, carpet, bath room and modern com- 
forts, luxuries, outfit and a thousand other things of 
modern invention; but a healthy pioneer, equipped 
with a good ax, a maul or beetle and a few iron 
wedges, a gun and a good dog had an empire of his 
own and there was no reason why he should not suc- 
ceed. He had timber, time and game to work upon. 

The clearing of a farm was no child's play how- 
ever. There was no transportation, therefore no 
market for timber. It had to be burned up no matter 
how good it was, it must be gotten out of the way. 
In clearing, some, to save labor, would simply girdle 
the large oak trees and let them stand, clearing away 
the rest. To girdle a tree, the bark was usually 
cleft through, the whole way around the body from 
three to four feet from the ground. A tree treated 
in this way seldom sends forth its leaves the next 
year. The branches begin to drop, and then the 
larger limbs, and these mighty monarchs of the for- 
ests now present a wierd appearance in the open 



34 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

field. They give the country a sickening appearance 
until the woodman's ax and fire terminate their ex- 
istence. 

Wheir the timber was felled and cut in proper 
length for logging, and the brush burned out of the 
way, then the logs were piled together and burned. 
The ashes could then be scraped together, marketed 
at about five cents per bushel, provided you took 
your pay in trade. The writer secured his first pair 
of suspenders in this way, when a boy six years old. 

The choicest timber was split into rails for 
fencing, building, etc. 

These clearings multiplied and the roads being 
improved, a more open country laid before the eye. 

Raising buildings, logging bees, corn huskings, 
dancing, sap boiling, coon hunting, all had their 
part, as well as church services, in bringing the 
people together. 

If a man had logging to do and saw fit so to 
do, he would invite as many of his neighbors as he 
chose, and a suitable number of teams, and on the 
time fixed, they assembled at the logging place; us- 
ually the teamsters would choose their followers and 
then the work of piling the logs in heaps for burning 
commenced. A very pleasant rivalry often ensued, 
seeing which group could pile up the most heaps. 
This, with the appetizing dinner prepared by the 
ladies, served as a stimulant to insure good work. 

Many a loafer had his spirits ruflOied, feeling 
slighted in not being invited to these bees, as he con- 
templated a dinner of fresh venison, turkey, plum 
pudding, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, sassafras or 
store tea. such a dinner as the woodman's wife and 



History of Richmond Township. 3S 

the country maidens knew just how to get up. 
Usually after these bees, especially the corn husking 
bees, there by the young people, in which the older 
ones might indulge, plays, charades, card playing or 
such amusement as the morals of the management 
might allow. Of course card playing, dancing,, 
whisky drinking and all immorality had their dev- 
otees then as now. But things were known by 
their right name then. A spade was a "Spade" and 
the weak church member then who overstepped the- 
bounds of propriety speedily answered to the sum- 
mons of his, or her, church council in tears of re- 
pentance, or was led down and out. 

AFTER NAVEL'S HAND MILL. 

The first grist mill to do service for this town>- 
ship was located principally upon and propelled by 
the waters of the Huron river. It used to require- 
several days in going to mill and getting a grist> 
Bad roads or teams, slow grinding, waiting on other 
customers for your own turn to come, being some of 
the delaying causes. But after all the good old days 
of custom grinding are gone forever and we have 
cause to fear to the detriment, if not the great dis- 
advantage of the public. The grain was first threshed 
in this township with the fiail. This instrument I 
cannot stop to describe. Then treading or tramping 
it off became the process. Preparing a fioor or clear 
place on the ground, the grain was placed upon it, 
the cattle, colts or horses taken on and made to move 
briskly around while attendants would keep con- 
stantly turning and stirring until the process was. 



36 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

complete. The straw then shaken out the grain 
would be fanned. 

After the methods of threshing had become com- 
mon, Billy Johnson and his son Mose became great 
benefactors by introducing a threshing machine, 
which was run by horse power. It consisted of a 
liorse power and open cylinder. While it was almost 
equivalent to facing a first class battery in blazing 
battle, to face that cylinder and rake away the straw 
and receive the crazy kernels, knocked first in this 
eye and then in that one and a whole shower of them 
finding every bare spot in the most blinding, stifling 
dust and deafening roar, thus testing the anatomy 
•of any who had the temerity to try it, still plenty 
of men liked the novelty of it and Billy Johnson's 
machine was a great success. The grain usually had 
to be piled or caved up and covered with straw to 
protect it from the rain, until cleaned by a fanning 
mill and disposed of. Then came Wise and Still- 
-well with a machine having a straw carrier and 
a fanning mill attached to it and from this on each 
year brought improvements until perfection is nearly 
attained. 

The sickle was an implement for reaping gi-ain 
or grass by hand in the writer's childhood day. He 
well remembers its use. The mowing scythe and 
grain cradle superseded it, which in after years and 
a more stumpless day, had to give place to the mowing 
machine and reaper, of horse power fame. Even 
these would be interesting to trace in their improve- 
ments. 

The improved farms with stumpless fields, well 
drained low land, nice frame buildings, well equipped 



History of Richmond Township. 37 

machinery and highly bred stock, are no adequate 
type of the rustic rudeness of pioneer life, in the log 
cabin surrounded by howling wolves, invaded by 
friendly or hostile Indians, exposed to malarious cat- 
swamps, destined to exposure, hardship and incon- 
venience, with unbroken forest to tackle. 

WATER. 

There were some inconveniences in the early- 
days scarcely thought of now. For instance, there 
were no deep wells to depend upon, in case of drought. 
One dry summer for weeks we actually hauled water 
from the (now Chicago Junction) springs to West 
Richmond and it was my boyish daily task with 
brother and sister to drive the cattle to water at the 
Honey Creek, on the farm now owned by Philander 
Riddle. By the time we could make these trips with 
our lolling herd through the smothering dust under 
the boiling sun and back to the farm on the TiflEin 
road they were as thirsty as when they started. Some 
wells began to be put down with success. Jacob 
Holtz now struck a well on his farm that could sup- 
ply the whole township. A well was put down on the 
farm now owned by John Bellinger or which was 
owned at that time by Henry Weaver afterwards by 
John Gribben. This well was put down some six- 
teen feet, then a well augur was used and in search 
for the substratum of water the augur found a lively 
pocket of natural gas. On removing the augur the 
gas exhaust was sufficiently strong enough to throw 
small pebbles clear to the surface. This find of 
natural wealth enraged the workmen and drove them 



38 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

away. In the nighttime J. F. Miller took his lan- 
tern and repaired to the well in the hope that water 
might now be flowing in. The lighted lantern com- 
ing in contact with the gas, an explosion ensued and 
•our explorer barely escaped with his life, minus the 
beard on one side of his face, his hands and face 
badly burned and his temper seriously ruffled against 
a providence that would fill the earth with such a 
curse, (?) when he wanted water. 

There now was a growing demand for charcoal, 
the village blacksmith using no other then. Hun- 
dreds of cords of wood would be piled up on end 
and covered with earth, then burned to coal. My 
father had a number of these pits burned and for 
years after when plowing we could tell in the soil 
where every one of the pits had been burned. Care 
had to be exercised in taking the coal to market as 
any latent fire was likely to be fanned into a flame, 
thereby endangering the conveyance. It required as 
much skill, care and time to burn a coal pit as it 
does to burn a brick kiln. 

New Haven now became our metropolis. Here- 
tofore all our foreign stores were brought from Milan 
or Sandusky. Now, though all our wheat from Seneca, 
Crawford and Wyandot counties is hauled to Milan 
for market, these same teamsters bring back loads 
of goods and even do their own trading in New Haven. 
I have seen seven dry goods, three provision stores, 
two taverns, one machine shop, two tanneries, two 
warehouses, one railroad, one grist mill, several shoe 
shops at one time in New Haven. 

Richmond, like all other places, came in for its 
full share of politics. Now politics, when not per- 



History of Richmond Township, 39 

verted, is the science of government. In what I may- 
say on politics, I leave the reader to judge how far 
it applies on government. 

Richmond was greatly agitated over the slavery 
question long before the Civil War, some taking a 
radical stand defending the South in their rightful 
possessions and even ministers were found who pro- 
claimed human slavery a divine institution and sup- 
ported by the Bible. They had no use for the nigger 
or his friend. The South were great benefactors in 
caring for the useless, indolent, helpless "nigger." 

Then there were the abolitionists, who would 
down slavery at any cost; this they did at a tre- 
mendous price. It may be interesting here to note 
that some of these Richmondites were station agents 
on the "Underground railroad" of those days. This 
was an institution organized to run refugee slaves 
through to Canada and to safety. The refugee slave 
law made it the duty of every citizen to assist any 
United States marshal, who with his bloodhound, on 
the trail of runaway slaves, asked assistance, running 
them down and catching them. This was so very 
obnoxious to the abolitionist. Then the penitentiary 
yawned at any one refusing the marshal, or assisting 
a slave to escape. This made it most hazardous in 
belonging to this railroad and it was difficult to 
manage the underground railroad. 

Once in a while a colored man who could show 
that he was a free man would come into the township 
and plead for the oppressed of his race, describing 
the cruelty inflicted on the slaves in the far south. 
This would in turn awaken partisan animosity and 
no doubt, often those colored advocates of freedom 



6 

40 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

were kidnapped, taken south beyond their identity 
and sold into hopeless, life long bondage. 

Of course, there were also local issues in town- 
ship offices, improvement, enterprises, etc., to keep 
the political fire fanned, and a healthful rivalry in 
these was no great disadvantage. 

RAPPING SPIRITS VISITED RICHMOND TOWN- 
SHIP MANY YEARS AGO. 

The rapping spirits got in their work in an early 
day in Richmond. Moses Cole was the leading 
medium. He was almost unbalanced by the delusion 
and came pretty near unbalancing several associates. 
Wherever a group of young people assembled the 
spirits had to be tampered with, and many foolishly 
believed, (as some blindly do now) that the spirits 
of their deceased friends could here be conferred 
with. The amusing part of it was that those 
spirits never knew more about things terrestrial 
nor celestial than any of the rest of us do. 

Johnney Appleseed made his famous journeys and 
visitation through here. He was a very eccentric 
character whose real name was John Chapman. He 
had imbibed a remarkable passion for raising apple 
trees from the seed. He was accustomed to clear 
spots in loamy soil and along streams to plant his 
seed. When the early settlers began to arrive and 
clear the ground Johnney was ready for them with 
his trees, which he either gave them or sold for some 
trifle. His personal appearance was as queer as his 
character. On one cool autumnal night while lying 
by his camp fire in the woods he observed that the 



History of Richmond Township. 41 

mosquitoes flew in the blaze and were burned, John- 
ney who wore on his head a tin utensil which an- 
swered, both as a cap and a mush pot, filled it with 
water and extinguished the fire and exclaimed, "God 
forbid I should build a fire for my comfort that should 
destroy any of His creatures." 

There was another quaint character, though a 
terror to children, a very harmless creature called 
"Crazy Ferris," who made regular trips through this 
sparsely settled township. 

The building of the Mad River and the Sandusky 
and Mansfield, afterward the Newark railroads, gave 
new energy to the hardy pioneers. Some remuner- 
ation might be expected now for working up the tim- 
ber but its superabundance held it of no value. Rail- 
roads as then constructed with the old "strap iron" 
instead of "T" rails as now, required more wood than 
ties and the engines all burned wood instead of coal. 
Then there began to be a demand for staves, which 
were shipped to the lake and even on to England. 
This in turn increased taxes. 

Some respectable bridges began to appear. School 
houses were improved. The roads were very ma- 
terially repaired by drainage, culverts, bridges, etc. 

THE CLOCK. 

BY REV. W. A, KEEST. 

Ticking away day after day. 

Speeding the numberless seconds away; 

Your hands on your face to measure the space, 

As the minutes go by in a matchless race. 



42 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

The thing that you do most all people like. 

As they hear and then count the hours that you strike. 

No feet to walk, no mouth to speak; 
Daily and nightly you measure the week. 
No tongue to relate the things that you know; 
And you always go running as on you go, 
Timing all the business on land and sea. 
Ever following the sun where'er it may be. 

Your work in time you will fulfill, 

For you're not endued with a sovereign will; 

Your power is limited only to wheels. 

And to people on earth you make your appeals. 

But all confess that you're very clever. 

Although you cannot live and run on forever. 

Tiffin, Ohio. 



History of Richmond Township, 43 



CHAPTER V. 

PRIMITIVE SCHOOLS— TEACHERS— MINIS- 
TERS— DOCTORS— LAWYERS. 

The fall of 1860 saw the country wrapt in the 
maze of an exciting presidential campaign, which 
foreboded war however the election might go. Poll 
raising, mass meetings, wire pulling electioneering 
and domineering kept the political kettle boiling un- 
til Abraham Lincoln was elected and then the dick- 
ens was to pay. When on the fifteenth day of April, 
1861, President Lincoln called for 75,000 men to put 
down the rebellion, Richmond showed her metal. 
James Nesbitt claims the honor of being the first 
three-months' man to enlist. Then in May, the presi- 
dent called for 300,000 three-years' men to save the 
Union, God bless them! Again Richmond sent out 
her noble sons, as good a lot as ever marched to the 
beat of drum. In my book written upon the war 
I sought to give the names of all the Richmond 
soldiers, but having nothing more than memory to 
refer to, I have been greatly humiliated in the omis- 
sion of two at least, possibly more, of as brave, good, 
loyal and patriotic soldiers as ever donned the Amer- 
ican uniform. I speak of John and Samuel Miller. 

The roster here will correct any omission, I trust. 

The Indians and wild beasts had it about their 
own way with the early settlers. The road known 



44 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

as th^ Tiffin road, was the only road in 
the township then in 1832 opened. It had 
been cut out by the state to accommodate the public, 
as quite an emigration was already setting in for 
western Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. This road 
therefore was opened through the township east and 
west, one mile north of the center of the township. 
Through or around the cat swamps, so numerous 
then, it was laid with native logs lain side by side 
across the road making a very rough road but far 
easier — though harder — road to travel than the bot- 
tomless mud. These log constructions were called, 
"corderoy or corduroy roads." They were very pop- 
ular in their day. 

The principal articles of commerce in those days 
were the furs of the wild game which abounded with 
no legal restriction, and wood ashes could be marketed 
at about five cents per bushel, provided you took 
your pay in trade, such as combs, suspenders, tobacco, 
trinkets, etc. The great question being, how to get 
the timber out of the way, there being so much 
of it and no market for it, it had to be burned 
up. The ashes were leeched and produced a pot-ash 
which found a ready market if it could only be de- 
livered. Remember it tested any kind of team and 
vehicle to travel those corduroy roads. 

The erection of log cabins, clearing away the 
timber, opening new roads, hunting wild game, man- 
ufacturing clothing and implement of husbandry, rude 
furniture, building homes, opening up the slumber- 
ing forests gave constant toil and taxing care to all. 
Trees to fell, logs to saw, rails to split, brush to 



History of Richmond Township, 45 

burn, chunks to pile, fence to build, sugar camps to 
prepare, ditches to dig, plowing, planting and hoeing, 
wool carding, flax pulling, spinning, weaving and 
making all done by hand. The hum of the spinning 
wheel then far sweeter than that of the organ now. 
Don't ask me if I want to go back to pioneer day? 
The first justice of the peace was Reuben Franklin, 
then Jerry Williams. 

The primitive school was a very important 
factor in township building. Spelling, reading and 
writing was the most in literary attainment required 
of the teacher. He was not only expected to be an 
adept wielding the ferule when needed and of ap- 
plying the rod skillfully as occasion might require, 
but he must also be equipped with a suitable pen- 
knife and be able to transform the goose quill, fur- 
nished by each scholar possessing a copy-book, into a 
good quill pen. The night spelling, geography and 
singing schools were occasions of great profit in those 
times, in more ways than one. 

I do wish that I could give a correct list of 
Richmond's early teachers. I will name a few whom 
I have personally known. 

William Jump and Joseph H. Beelman were 
among the first and I have gone to school with the 
latter as my first school teacher. Mr. Beelman was a 
remarkable singer, had a marvelously charming voice, 
and he was in demand as a singing school teacher. 

Wesley J. Andrews was a successful school 
teacher for over thirty years. I received the benefit 
of his training, as my teacher, from six to sixteen 
years of age. He was a singing school teacher and 
he held very many spelling, arithmetic, geography 



46 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

and writing schools at night, for the benefit of the 
public, for which he charged nothing. He was active 
and foremost in every public movement for the wel- 
fare of the community and with him remuneration 
was the second consideration. His remains repose 
in the Attica cemetery and his funeral was con- 
ducted by the writer who, whenever visiting his 
grave, bares his head in honor of a man whose moral 
and intellectual worth never was appreciated. 

E. V. Buckingham, Louisa Johnson, Nathan 
Buckingham, Geo. Mead, John Moore, Margaret John- 
son, Winfield Beelman, Milton Andrews, Amos F. Upp» 
W. A. Keesy, Henry Resh, Jacob Resh, Libbie Hoff- 
man, Libbie Seavolt, Alice Seavolt, Jennie Fast, W. 
N. Keesy, Maggie J. Lane, Wm. McManigall, Elmer 
Fast, Bun and Cloe Buzzard, Earl Riddle, Addie Pol- 
linger, Miller, Hershiser, Williams, Miss Fackler, 
Buierle, Keesy, Sykes. 

Richmond has turned out the following roll of 
ministers of the gospel: 

Rev. Sanford Sage United Brethren. 

Rev. William Allen Keesy United Brethren. 

Rev. Jennie Crabbs United Brethren. 

Rev. Wm. H. Evans United Brethren. 

Rev. Samuel Fackler United Brethren 

Rev. Lovina Oleman, nee Shineberger Church of God. 

Rev. I. N. Richards Evangelical. 

Rev. Christian Waltz Evangelical. 

Rev. Jerry Williams Free Methodist 

Rev. Amos Upp Episcopal Methodist. 

Rev. Adam Beelman German Baptist. 



History of Richmond Townstiip, 47 

Rev. John Miller Minonite. 

Rev. *David Rittenhouse (Dunkard) German Baptist 

Rev. *Jacob Fackler German Baptist. 

Rev. * John B. Fink German Baptist, 

The writer was present at this election or draw- 
ing and afterward heard Mr. Fackler deliver his 
maiden sermon, in his own house, on Crab Run, at 
its crossing TiflBn road, where a goodly audience had 
assembled for the occasion. He gave a clear, logical, 
impressive address, in the scriptural manner, by oc- 
cupying a sitting posture. 



WHEN THE CIRCUIT RIDER CAME. 

In the backwoods of Ohio, in the days of long ago, 

When religion was religion, not a dressy fashion 
show. 

When the spirit of the Master fell as flames of living 
fire 

And the people did the singing, not a trained, artistic 
choir. 

There was scarcely seen a ripple in life's gentle flow- 
ing tide. 

No events to draw the people from their daily toil 
aside, 

Naught to set the pious spirit of the pioneers aflame. 

Save upon the rare occasions when the circuit rider 
came. 



*The three star-named were chosen by lot after 
the manner of their church council. 



48 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

He was usually mounted on the sorriest of nags. 

All his outfit for the journey packed in leather saddle- 
bags, 

And he'd travel with the Bible or the hymn book in 
his hand, 

Reading sacred word or singing of the happy prom- 
ised land. 

How the toiling wives would glory in the dinners 
they would spread. 

And how many a hapless chicken or a turkey lost its 
head 

By the gleaming chopper wielded by the hand of 
sturdy dame. 

For it wasn't very often that the circuit rider came. 

All the settlement around us would be ringing with 
the news 

That there'd be a meeting Sunday, and we'd "taller" 
up our shoes. 

And we'd brush our homespun dress suits, pride of 
every country youth. 

And we'd grease our hair with marrow till it shone 
like golden truth. 

And the frocks of linsey-woolsey would be donned by 
all the girls, 

And with heated old fire pokers they would make 
their cork-screw curls; 

They were scarcely queens of fashion, but were love- 
ly, just the same, 

And they always looked their sweetest when the cir- 
cuit rider came. 

We have sat in grand cathedrals, triumphs of the 
builder's skill, 



History of Richmond Township. 49 

And in great palatial churches, 'neath the organ's 

mellow thrill. 
But they never roused within us such a reverential 

flame 
As would burn in the old school-house when the 

circuit rider came. — Selected. 

DOCTORS. 

The township enrolls the following physicians 
and surgeons: 

Dr. Charles Richards, M. D., Dr. Wm. H. Sykes, 
M. D., Dr. E. V. Buckingham, M. D., Dr. Hulbert Wil- 
liams, M. D., Dr. David Jump, M. D., Dr. H. M. Buck- 
ingham, M. D., Dr. Wm. Buckingham, M. D., Dr. 
Thomas Foster, M. D., Dr. Otis Sykes, D. D. S., Dr. 
Corwin Miller, D. D. S. 

ATTORNEYS. 

The following attorneys at law: 
Attorneys Frank Williams, G. W. Beelman, M. O. 
Rettig, Frank Richards. 

IT'S NOW. 

REV. W. A. KEESY. 

The past and future are always met — 
A divine arrangement, somehow; 
Their time of meeting will never let 
One into the other. It's Now. 

This Now will be with us forever; 
To it past and future, somehow. 



50 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

As wisely arranged by the giver, 
Must deliver their goods. It's Now. 

And "Now," speeding onward forever 
Little sphere, in which I, somehow, 
Grasp it now — this instant — or never. 
Nor can I escape it. It's Now. 

"Now" oh, the expanse that's before me! 
Through sweep of the ages, somehow, 
A creature like me may explore thee; 
And now, I am at it. It's Now. 

Should any one doubt the forever. 
Let him remember that, somehow. 
It will always be "now," or never, as 
Onward and onward we go. It's now. 

And now "Atom Spot" — in creation, 
While on thee I stand — somehow, 
I'm surveying worlds that are wonders, 
While onward and onward I go. It's Now, 



History of Richmond Township. 51 

CHAPTER VI. 

SELECTIONS. 
UNFRIENDLY TO MODERN SCIENCE. 

Many persons who are considered "well-in- 
formed," as the saying goes, have moods in which 
they wish they had never heard of microbes and dis- 
ease germs, but the following account of a "squat- 
ter's" state of mind upon this point must at least be 
greatly overdrawn. We find it in the St. Louis Post- 
Despatch, and reprint it for its humor rather than for 
its scientific or historic value. 

It was a squatter's cabin on the border of a 
swamp, and the squatter himself sat smoking his 
pipe as the colonel rode up and asked for a drink of 
water. One of the half-dozen children ran to the 
swamp with a gourd and filled it, but the colonel 
turned away, and said: 

"I can't drink that stuff; it's full of young tad- 
poles." 

"Yes, they do seem to be pretty thick," replied 
the squatter, as he blew a cloud of smoke above his 
head. 

"I should think you'd be afraid to swallow these 
things," said the colonel. 

"Don't see nothin' to be afraid of, sah. Reckon 
it's wuss on the tadpoles than on us. Been drinkin* 
it right along for twenty years, and nobody's been 
hurt yit." 



52 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

"There must be lots of malaria around here." 

"Mebbe they are, sah, but I haven't see one as 
I knows of. Do they walk or fly?" 

"Malaria is what breeds chills and fever," ex- 
plained the colonel. 

"Oh, that's it? Must be round here, then, though 
we ain't worrin' any." 

"But you shouldn't live in this miasma." 

"Dunno what your miasma is, but if she tackles 
this family, she'll git the worst of it. We ain't takin' 
a bluff from anything." 

"My friend," continued the colonel, as he looked 
around, "did you ever hear of bacteria?" 

"Never, sah. Does he walk or fly?" 

"And did you ever hear of a microbe?" 

"Never did. Is he on the fight?" 

"How on earth can you live here, contiguous to 
this pestilential morass, with the air weighted down 
with malaria, is more than I can understand." 

The squatter looked up to the man on horseback 
for a long minute, as if puzzling over the words, and 
then queried: 

"What's 'contiguous' mean?" 

"It means alongside of." 

"And what's 'pestilential?'" 

"Sickness and death." 

"And what's morass," 

"A swamp." 

"Look here, stranger," continued the squatter, as 
he rose, knocked the fire out of his pipe, and looked 
very serious. "I've lived here all my life, and I've 
seen a thousand people go along this road, but you 



History of Richmond Township. 53 

are the first critter who has gone at it to upset me, 
and make me feel discontented and unhappy." 

"I was simply speaking of the situation," ex- 
plained the colonel. 

"And so am I, sah, and the situation are jest 
this: You've come along and made up faces at my 
tadpoles, you've throwed malaria and miasma at me, 
you've talked of pestilence and morass and microbes, 
and you've jest got me so riled up that I'm bound to 
say that if you don't want to ask fur a chaw of ter- 
backer or a drink of whiskey, or wasn't intendin' to 
stop and talk politics, you'd better be a-gittin', and 
keep a-gittin' till you git beyond the next turn in the 
road. You may pass all right in some parts, but I'm 
dawgoned if you ain't twice too particular fur slch 
common folks as we are around yere." 

ALMOST UP. 

"Where were you struck?" the captain cried 
To him who charged on Lookout's side. 
Who charged in all his martial pride. 
Up! over rocky ridge and rut, 
Up! where the paths of life were shut. 
Up! where the death-winged bullets sped, 
Up! over dying men and dead; 
Nothing could stay his onward tread 
Until — that hurtling scrap of lead. 

"Where were you struck?" the captain cried. 
Between the waves of battle's tide. 
Then, half in anguish, half in pride. 
Though drinking of the bitter cup. 
The soldier answered, "Almost up!" 



S4 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

"No, no; your wound — where hit, I mean?" 

But, even in that final scene. 

True to his last heroic will, 

'"Most up! 'most up!" he murmured still. 

Not where his shattered body bled, 
Not where his veins poured out their red, 
But where his last hard duty led, 
Was all the dying soldier's thought. 
And may we learn the lesson taught! — 
No matter where our lives are cast, 
In sunny peace or battle's blast, 
May it be said, when we have passed, 
"He struggled upwards to the last!" 

J. Edmund V. Cooki. 

CAN RITE ALL RITE. 

A United States army recruiting oflBcer in a 
little Missouri town recently received the following 
letter: "Deer war boss: I reed in the cansas citi 
times that yu want me. I can reed, rite and use the 
inglich lengwedge all rite, i weigh abaud 165 pownds 
end I am neerly to yards long, my karakter is all 
rite to. i was never in gale, exept once in the calla- 
boose, but i never stole nothin. i reckon i cen kill 
20 Indians in one day, or spanyards too if i hafto. 
if yu send me som mony so I can come i jine sure, 
im strong as a bull and teres nothin de mater with 
me only a blak i, but i can see all rite, yurs for 
business." 

The war department has prepared a statement 
of casualties in the army during the war with Spain, 



History of Richmond Township. 55 

and since the cessation of hostilities. Between May 
1 and September 30, inclusive, there were 280 oflacers 
and men killed in battle; 65 died of wounds, and 2,565 
died of disease. The mortality was 2,910 out of a 
total force of 274,717, or a little more than one per 
cent. The navy department reports that 17 sailors 
killed and 67 wounded constitute the total loss in the 
navy. 

THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM. 

BY GEORGE F. BOOT. 

Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once 
again, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 
We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the 
plain, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom. 

Chorus: 
The Union forever! Hurrah! boys. Hurrah! 

Down with the traitor, up with the star! 
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again, 

Shouting the battle cry of Freedom. 

We are springing to the call of our brothers gone 
before, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 
And we'll fill the vacant ranks with a million free- 
men more. 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 

We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and 
brave. 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 



S6 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

And although they may be poor not a man shall 
be a slave, 
sihouting the battle cry of Freedom! 

So we're springing to the call from the east and 
from the west, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 
And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land we 
love the best, 
. Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 

We are marching to the field, boys, we're going to 
the fight. 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 
And we bear the glorious stars for the Union and 
the right. 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom. 

We will meet the rebel host, boys, with fearless 
heart and true, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 
And we'll show what Uncle Sam has for loyal men 
to do, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 

If we fall amid the fray, boys, we'll face them to the 
last, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 
And our comrades brave shall hear us, as they go 
rushing past, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 

Yes, for Liberty and Union we're springing to the 
fight. 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 



History of Richmond Township. 57 

And the victory shall be ours, for we're rising in our 
might, 
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! 

Otis Sykes has the honorable distinction of being 
the youngest soldier from the township, having en- 
listed at 15. (See roster.) 

Samuel Post, Wm. Pox, Jacob Holtz were among 
the oldest to go to war. (See roster.) 

Wesley J. Andrews, hospital stewart, and Wm. 
H. and Andrew J. Sykes were the highest in rank. 
(See roster.) 

However, I guess Richmond can scarcely claim 
Wm. H. Sykes as he was studying medicine at Fair- 
field when he enlisted. The same is said of Henry 
Resh. He w£is studying medicine in Attica, but still 
had his home with his parents in Richmond. 

On Johnson's Island in October, 1864, I fell in 
and got acquainted with Uncle John Feasel of Co. H, 
64th regiment, O. V. I. We journeyed together to 
Chattanooga, marched with the army to Alpine, Ga., 
returned to Chattanooga, Tenn., and while Sherman 
was marching through Georgia to the sea, we were 
after Hood (or he was after us), and Uncle John and 
I were in the battles of Columbia, Spring Hill, Frank- 
lin, November 30th, and Nashville, December 15th 
and 16th, 1864. In this last 120 cannons barked for 
two days. Uncle John recently celebrated his eighty- 
seventh anniversary and long may he live with the 
comrades to share their anniversaries. He now lives 
with his wife, Martha Jane, beloved by all. In Betts- 
ville, Ohio. 

The foregoing will recall many a comrade's ex- 
perience in those thrilling times. How appropriate 



58 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

then are the following lines. Read and reflect. The 
poet expresses tersely, a reality then, but more like a 
dream, we take it as a theory now. Richmond's sol- 
diers were in nearly all the 2,258 battles of the war. 

JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE, MOTHER. 

BY GEORGE F. BOOT. 

Just before the battle, mother, 

I am thinking most of you; 
While upon the field we're watching, 

With the enemy in view; 
Comrades brave are 'round me lying. 

Filled with thoughts of home and God; 
For they know that on the morrow 

Some will sleep beneath the sod. 

Chorus: 

Farewell mother; you may never 

Press me to your heart again! 
But you'll not forget me, mother. 

If I'm numbered with the slain. 

Oh, I long to see you, mother, 

And the loving ones at home! 
But I'll never leave our banner, 

Until in honor I can come. 
Tell the traitors, all around you, 

That their cruel words we know 
In every battle kill our soldiers 

By the help they give the foe. 

Hark! I hear the bugles sounding! 
'Tis the signal for the fight! 



History of Richmond Township. 59 

Now may God protect us, mother, 

As he ever does the right! 
Hear the Battle Cry of Freedom! 

How it swells upon the air! 
Oh, yes, we'll rally 'round the standard, 

Or we'll perish nobly there! 

TENTING ON THE OLD CAMP GROUND. 

BY WALTER KITTREDQE. 

We're tenting tonight on the old camp ground, 

Give us a song to cheer 
Our weary hearts, a song of home. 

And friends we love so well! 

Chorus: 

Many are the hearts that are weary tonight. 

Wishing for the war to cease; 
Many are the hearts, looking for the right, 

To see the dawn of peace. 
Tenting tonight, tenting tonight, 

Tenting on the old camp ground. 

We've been tenting tonight on the old camp ground, 

Thinking of days gone by. 
Of the lo'd ones at home that gave us the hand, 

And the tear that said "good bye!" 

We are tired of war on the old camp ground; 

Many are the dead and gone. 
Of the brave and true who've left their homes, 

Others been wounded long. 

We've been fighting today on the old camp ground; 
Many are lying near; 



60 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

Some are dead and some are dying, 
Many are in tears. 

Chorus: 
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight, 

Waiting for the war to cease; 
Many are the hearts, looking for the right, 

To see the dawn of peace, 
Dying tonight, dying tonight, 

Dying on the old camp ground, 

OUR STANDING ARMY. 

We have no standing army? 

Nay, look around, and see! 
The man who plows the furrow. 

The man who fells the tree. 
The statesman and the scholar. 

At the first word of fear 
Turn to their country, breathing, 

"My mother, I am here!" 

Not of a dumb, blind people 

Is this our army made; 
Where schoolhouse and where steeple 

Have cast their friendly shade. 
Our army grows in knowledge, 

As it to manhood grows, 
And, trained in school and college. 

Stands ready for its foes. 

The brawny arms of gunners 

Serve minds alert and keen; 
The sailor's thought has travelled 

To lands he has not seen. 



History of Richmond Township, 61 

Not for the joy of killing, 

Not for the lust of strife, 
Have these come forth with gladness, 

To offer up their life. 

Behold our standing army — 

Not, as in other lands. 
An army standing idle, 

"With empty minds and hands. 
But each one in his station; 

And peaceful victory 
Is training for the nation 

Heroes of land and sea. 

Maegabet Vandeqbift. 



MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 

BY HENRY C. V70RK. 

Bring the good old bugle, boys! we'll sing another 

song — 
Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along — 
Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong, 
"While we were marching through Georgia. 

Chorus: 

Hurrah! hurrah! we bring the jubilee! 
Hurrah! hurrah! the flag that makes you free! 
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea, 
"While we were marching through Georgia. 

How the darkies shouted when they heard the joyful 

sound! 
How the turkeys gobbled which our commissary 

found! 



62 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

How the sweet potatoes even started from the ground. 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

Yes, and there were Union men who wept with joy- 
ful tears, 

When they saw the honored flag they had not seen 
for years; 

Hardly could they be restrained from breaking forth 
in cheers, 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

"Sherman's dashing Yankee boys will never reach 

the coast!" 
So the saucy rebels said, and 'twas a handsome boast, 
Had they not forgot, alas, to reckon with the host, 
While we were marching through Georgia. 

So we made a thoroughfare for freedom and her train. 
Sixty miles in latitude, three hundred to the main; 
Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain. 
While we were marching through Georgia. 



GEN. BUTLER'S TYRANNY. 

A southern planter went to New Orleans several 
months after Gen. Butler had taken the reins in his 
hands and acquired a reputation for "tyranny." One 
of the first things he saw was the placards of a gen- 
tleman's furnishing store posted on the walls and 
fences: "Get your shirts at Moody's." The planter 
saw it again and again, and mused deeply upon it. 
"It's another of Butler's orders," he said to himself. 
"He's probably a partner in the concern, and what he 
says 'goes;' so T suppose it's best to submit. I don't 



History of Richmond Township. 63 

need any shirts, and it's a shame to he compelled to 
huy 'em now; but I don't want any more trouble." 
He accordingly went to Moody's and bought half a 
dozen shirts on compulsion. — Every Where. 



THE BLOODIEST BATTLE. 

A confederate monument at Franklin, Tenn., will 
be unveiled November 30 next, the anniversary of the 
battle. The fight was comparatively the bloodiest in 
which the confederate veterans were ever engaged, 
the killed alone numbering 1,600, among whom were 
several generals, including Cleburne. 

COMRADES. 

Yes, it kind o' makes me laugh — 
This new "w^ar time" photograph, 
Perched up here 'longside the one 
Of ME, when the war begun. 
Mine was tuk in — here's the date — 
Eighteen sixty. Ninety-eight 
His was tuk in. That's him. See? 
An', by hookey! this is me! 

Don't look much like I'm his dad. 
Wasn't THEN. But I am glad 
That he cum an' growed to fight 
For his country an' the right. 
Never thought my son 'ud sit 
Business-bent in soldierin' kit 
On the mantelpiece where I've 
Sot alone since Sixty-five. ' 



64 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

Same big "U. S." Reckon his 
Rifle is a Springfield. 'Tis 
Different-lookin' from the gun 
Giv' to us in Sixty-one — 
A Krag — what you say? Of course! 
Kicks^ I bet you, like a horse! 
You say not? Well, guess I'll take 
An old Springfield for MY make. 

Won't we swap the yarns, by gum! 
When his furlough brings him hum! 
Sure, his life's bin largely camp, 
An' he hasn't had to tramp 
Through the Wilderness, like me, 
Or another Vicksburg, see. 
But doggone! he 'listed, too. 
And we're comrades in the blue! 

— Edwin L. Sabin in Puck. 

THE SURVIVORS. 

Defiance, O., April 30. — Spl. — Tuesday is a gala 
day in Defiance. The stars and stripes are floating 
from every masthead and public building in the city, 
in honor of a few of the survivors of one of the most 
horrible maritime disasters of the century. 

This is the tenth annual reunion of the survivors 
of the Sultana disaster, and about twenty-five of the 
boys in blue who were on the ill-fated boat on the 
morning of the twenty-seventh of April, 1865, are 
gathered in this city to conduct the regular work of 
the National Sultana Survivors' association. 

On the twenty-sixth of April, 1865, the steamer 
Sultana steamed out of Memphis, on her way up the 



History of Richmond Townstiip. 65 

Mississippi bearing her human freight of more than 
2,000 souls, who for days and months had been cooped 
up in the prisons of the South. 

They were paroled prisoners from Castle Thun- 
der, Andersonville and other similar places. 

About nine miles above Memphis a defective 
boiler burst, blowing away a goodly portion of the 
upper deck. The shattered hull then took fire and 
forced the unfortunate passengers over the side into 
the seething mass of drowning comrades below. None 
knew how many were lost, but at best there were but 
a few hundred saved. 

It is probable that the next reunion will be held 
at Memphis, Tenn. Rev. Henderson and Col. Rada- 
baugh are the speakers of the day. 

THE SPANISH WAR. 

Why is the conflict through which we have just 
passed known as the Spanish-American War instead 
of the American-Spanish? Is there anything more 
than euphony In the order of these names? A current 
writer asserts that there is a meaning, and that in 
the names of nearly all wars the defeated nation 
comes first, as the Franco-Prussian, the Austro-Italian, 
and more recently the China-Japanese and the Grseco- 
Turkish wars. Oftentimes wars are named from the 
point of view of the people who do the writing of 
their history, as the Trojan War, the Punic War, 
the Indian War (British) and our ov/n Mexican 
War, Fortunate will be the man who writes the 
name of the world's last war. 



66 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

•.THE WAR IN A NUTSHELL. 

Jan. 23 — The Maine ordered to Havana. 

Feb. 15 — The Maine destroyed. 

April 21 — War declared. 

May 1 — Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet. 

May 19 — Cervera entered Santiago harbor. 

June 3 — Hobson sank the Merrimac, 

June 23 — Shafter landed at Santiago. 

July 1-2 — General assault on Santiago begun. 

July 3 — Schley and Sampson destroyed Cer- 
vera's fleet. 

July 7 — Hawaii annexed. 

July 14 — Santiago surrendered. 

July 24 — Spaniards in Porto Rico began to sur- 
render. 

July 26 — Spain sued for peace. 

August 12 — Spain accepted our terms and an 
armistice was proclaimed. 

August 12 — Formal transfer of Hawaii to the 
United States. 

August 13 — Dewey bombarded Manila which 
surrendered to him and General Merritt. 

August 20 — Our victors and victories celebrated 
in a grand "triumph" in New York harbor. 

LO, AQUINALDOl 

With respects to you, Aguinaldo, 
I'd recall to you the hidalgo! 
He was haughty, proud, defiant; 
Now he's humble, prostrate, pliant. 
As we went for him, Aguinaldo, 



History of Richmond Township. 67 

So after you we surely shall go 

If you persist in your attempt 

Violently to exempt 

Any part of the Philippines 

From authority which means 

To them and you ; 

A better life and a broader view. 

The liberty for which you strive 

Is much more likely to arrive 

By peaceful means 

Than through the bloody scenes 

Of battlefields. 

As to the justice of your cause. 

Let this contention give you pause: 

The struggling patriot who yields 

Obedience to that higher law 

That's written with the eagle's claw 

Achieves at once, with deftest stroke, 

Eternal freedom from the despot's yoke. 

If, after reading these few lines, 

Your disposition still inclines 

To deeds of turbulence and strife, 

Then you may safely bet your life 

The hand that raised our flag above Manila 

Will leave of you and yours not one scintilla! 

— W. H. F. in New York Sun, 

SOLDIERS' DEATH LIST OF 5,73i. 

Washington, March 11. — The following state- 
ment has been issued, showing the total number of 
deaths reported to the adjutant general's oflace be- 
tween May 1, 1898, and February 28, 1899: Killed 



68 I^oster of Richmond Soldiers and 

in action 329; died of wounds 125; died of disease 

5,277; total 5,731. 

POESIES OF THE POETS. 

BE NOT VAIN BECAUSE OF SPAIN. 

We were tempted to be bumptious when the sink- 
ing of the Maine 

Was followed by the drubbing we administered to 
Spain, 

But 'twill pay us to remember it was arrogance 
and pride 

Which led Spain to the sins for which her soldiers 
bled and died. 

It may be that republics, like old monarchies effete, 

May get the big-head badly, toppling off their props 
and feet. 

We love our flag of freedom, with its brilliant prom- 
ise-stars. 

The many grand achievements frescoed in its battle 
scars. 

The grand domain it represents, its men who fear 
no foe, 

But ride the car of progress with resistless vim 
and go; 

And yet 'tis well to fit the car with airbrakes and 
the like. 

Control is of importance from a warship to a bike. 

So let us mix humility with all our loud hurrahs. 
Content with common sense to love our country and 

its cause, 
To look for inspiration and true wisdom to the skies, 



History of Richmond Township, 69 

Remembering that God is great and in Him vic'try 

lies; 
So while we crow a little for the victory o'er Spain, 
Mix love with all your loyalty— all braggart brays 

are vain — 
Bombastic pride is but the sugar coating over pain. 

The greatest are the humblest high in Heaven and 
here on earth, 

self-praise is but a bubble and a text for honest 
mirth ; 

We want to feel responsible for greatness and its use, 

With penalties awaiting its perversion or abuse. 

So do not stop to cackle or to waste the precious 
time, 

March on in modest might toward our destiny sub- 
lime. 

For gratitude is virtue, but mere boastfulness a 

crime. 

I. Edqab Jones. 



A SABLE SOLOMON. 

There is wit under woolly pates, and the drol- 
lery of its expression makes the instance we cite 
all the more readable: 

Once a man go travellin' an' he get hungry, so 
he stop at a tavern an' order something to eat, so 
dey bring him six poached eggs. He eat dem, but 
he did not hab any money, so he say he would come 
back an' pay. In six years— or maybe it was more 
—he come back an' pay sixpence for de eggs; but 
den de tavern-keeper say dat if he had not eaten de 
six poached eggs dey might hab been chickens, an' 



70 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

den de chickens would hab grown up an' hatched 
more chickens, an' dey more — an' more — an' tell the 
man he must pay six pounds instead of six-pence. 
An' the man say he would not. So dey go to de 
judge. An' while dey was conversin' a boy come in 
wid a bundle under his arm. An' de judge say, 
"What you got in de bundle?" an' de boy say, 
"Parch' peas, sa!" "What you goin' do wid dem?" 
"Plant dem, sa!" "Hi!" say de judge, "you can't 
plant parch' peas; dey won't grow!" "Well, sa, an' 
poached eggs won't hatch!" So dey dismiss de man, 
an' he neber pay a penny. Dis story show dat you 
must neber count you' chickens befo' dey hatch. 



COST OF THE WAR. 

The war with Spain is estimated to have cost 
the United States about $150,000,000, or a little more 
than $1,300,000 for each of the 114 days during which 
it lasted. The actual disbursements for war pur- 
poses from March, when the anticipatory ex- 
penditures were made, to August 13th amounted to 
$98,000,000. The remainder of the estimate covers 
expenses on war account after the signing of the 
peace protocol. The cost in human life, so far as 
the American forces are concerned, was much less 
than was anticipated. The navy had one ofllcer and 
eighteen men killed, and three officers and forty 
men wounded. In the army twenty-three officers 
and 236 men were killed, and eighty-seven officers 
and 1,406 men wounded. The mortality from disease 
cannot be accurately estimated. 



History of Richmond Township. 71 

PENSION DAY. 

BY REV. W. A. KEESY. 

I am anxious a few more words to say, 
They're about our soldiers' pension day. 
They tell me now there's some contention 
On giving them a service pension. 

We were peaceful and a slumbering nation, 
When war's alarms aroused creation; 
We had no show for our defenses; 
No money then to pay expenses. 

Our little navy, then of wooden tubs. 
Army scattered then, by Indian clubs, 
Congress was domineered by rebels, 
The north and south in strife like devils. 

The conundrum of the mad condition, 
A puzzle to immortal Lincoln, 
Who called for soldiers of 'Sixty-One; 
The great civil war had then begun. 

Then Abraham Lincoln spoke the brave word, 
In such a way that all the world heard: 
"Boys, we will march south under the flag 
And make those Johnnies haul down their rag." 

But then, they were almost as big as we; 
They fought like demons on land and sea. 
Their forts and guns and their ships as well. 
Were belching forth the missiles of hell! 

The carnage is on; it's a woeful strife, 
A struggle to save the nation's life; 



72 Roster of R^ichmond Soldiers and 

Oh! was it needless? then tell me why 
Three hundred thousand men had to die? 

Here from the gory field, returned to tent; 
But where are the boys who with us went? 
These aches and pains we will not mention, 
For Uncle Sam gives us a pension. 



History of Richmond Township. 73 



CHAPTER VII. 

COON HUNTING-A CURIOUS FIND— INDIANS 

—OFFICERS— SUGAR CAMP— LINCOLN'S 

ASSASSINATION. 

A real good dog, like the old black one we used 
to have, called "Watch," and I like to honor his 
name with a place here, as he was so useful, would 
be in the woods by dusk and as soon as he struck 
a coon's track or located a coon in a tree, he would 
make the woods ring with his urgent bark, until 
some one would come to his help, with ax or gun, 
when if the game treed, could be, it was shot. If 
it could not be seen and the tree upon which old 
"Watch" had located it was not too large, it was 
felled by the woodman's ax, in which case, "Old 
Watch" usually took care of himself and he also 
took care of the game amidst the crash of falling 
timbers. But if the tree was too large, or it was 
desired to let it stand, a fire was kindled on two 
or more sides nearby and kept alive until morning 
when the game was usually secured. A dog was 
awfully disappointed if there was no response with 
help when by his trumpet blast, or piercing bark, he 
gave notice that he had found the game. The prac- 
ticed hunter could tell by the bark of his dog whether 
he had the game treed, or was yet on the trail. 

Sometimes a party of two, three or five would 
lay out in the woods all night with dogs, guns, axes, 
torches and such other equipment as the occasion 



74 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

might require usually securing coon, opossum, wood- 
chuck, skunk or other game. 

In about 1853, Asa Sparks and Henry Weaver 
took the contract for building a new schoolhouse in 
the Keesy district, the old one having served its 
purpose for school and church, concert and public 
services. The new schoolhouse was fairly under way 
when on Saturday after a week's work had brought 
another quitting hour, the tools were stacked, and 
the workmen departed for their homes; Mr. Sparks 
remarking that he was not feeling well. By Monday 
it was found that* he was a victim of typhoid fever. 
It was the common thought in those days that ty- 
phoid fever must run its course and that nothing 
but death could change or stop it; that it must 
have a course of from six to nine weeks. 

Well Mr. Sparks (and several of his family) 
died. He never got back to the schoolhouse. Mr. 
Weaver went on and finished the schoolhouse, which 
gave good service under such teachers as Elizabeth 
Huffman, Jacob Resh, Elizabeth Seavolt, W. A. Keesy, 
Wm. McManigall and scores of others. 

Sometime after the war I was working for D. 
Y. Fink and Levi Mohler at the carpenter trade. 
We were building Mr. Joseph Channing's barn, when 
one day Mr. Mohler was absent, as the school direc- 
tors of the Keesy district wanted him to do some 
repairing on their schoolhouse. On his return, the 
day after, we found him very greatly elated over "a 
rich find," as he chose to call it. 

As he was removing some broken siding, to be 
replaced by new ones, he found beneath or between 
the siding and the celling a whole set of carpenter's 
planes, in a good state of preservation. These evl- 



History of Richmond Township. 75 

dently had lain their since the sick hand of Asa 
Sparks had placed them there for their Sunday rest. 
Now as there were none of the Sparks or Weavers 
to lay claim to them, they of course were Mohler's 
find. 

In 1843 the Indians were removed by the govern- 
ment, from Upper Sandusky, Wyandotte county, Ohio, 
to their reservation in the West. This greatly re- 
lieved the dread of them which the early settlers 
necessarily entertained. Were it in place here, some 
very atrocious incidents might be recorded, on either 
side, but we dare not divert these pages to such use. 
The question, "Which has the greater cause for com- 
plaint against the whites, the Negro or the Indian?'" 
has been so long discussed that we are glad to get 
away from it. Like the question, "Which is the 
mother of the chick, the hen that laid the egg, or 
the one that hatched it." But since the incubator, 
it is the blood that tells the story. 



IN 1863 AND 1864. 

The legislature passed an act, organizing the 
militia of the state. 

The 4th regiment was formed in Huron county. 

Company "I" was composed of Richmond town- 
ship men. The following oflBcers were elected at an 
election held for the purpose, and duly commissioned 
by Governor David Todd. 

The election was held on July 4, 1863. The com- 
missions signed by the governor on July 14, 1863. 



76 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

OFFICERS. 

Alexander Clark, captain; Samuel Fackler, first 
lieutenant; William Allen Keesy, second lieutenant. 

P. M. Hershiser was appointed first (or orderly) 
sergeant. 

All the officers of the congressional district were 
ordered to Toledo, Ohio, for a camp drill of one 
week under General Hill. After this officer's drill of 
one week, at Toledo. 

One day's company drill, on the southeast corner 
one mile north of the center of Richmond, dinner 
furnished by the ladies and citizens, and, 

One day's battallion drill in New Haven, where 
Jas. Dawson now lives, wound up the existence of- 
this militia movement. Although it might be added 
that about this time the famous Rebel General John 
Morgan, made a raid into Ohio, and we had orders 
to be ready to take the field at a moment's warning. 
But Morgan was captured and thus ended Co. I, 4th 
Regt. O. M. 

I have previously stated that Richmond had no 
commissioned officers among its soldiers. Let it be 
remembered that the statement, and the roster, have 
reference to men alone who entered the United States 
service under that organization. Further, I do not 
only state troops, never entered the United States 
service under that organization. Further, I do not 
know of ever receiving any pay from the state of 
Ohio for that militia service; more than that the 
state bore the camp expenses while at Toledo on 
drill. 



History of Richmond Township. 77 

A SUGAR CAMP. 

One of the most enjoyable employments, es- 
pecially for the young people, was sugar making; 
which occurred in the opening spring, after a long 
close winter. Usually the spare time in winter was 
improved in preparing for this. Wood was cut, ket- 
tles secured, camp prepared, spiles were made, 
troughs were dug and storage prepared. I have seen 
great poplar trees felled and thirty or even forty feet 
dug out for a store trough. When the sap came 
faster than could he boiled away in the kettles, the 
great store trough was sometimes filled and even 
.the empty barrels were brought into use. Then the 
fires had to be kept going day and night. 

When the boiling process had secured a good, 
rich syrup it was taken off, strained, cleansed and 
then boiled to a finish. This was called, "stirring 
off," and required skill to insure success. At this 
point, I think of all the viands of earth, nothing 
excels the nectar sweets, or ambrosial taints, of the 
hot taffy to be had just as the process is completed. 
In stirring till cool, you have crumb sugar. If 
poured into vessels while hot, you have sugar cakes, 
unless you desire only molasses, in which case the 
boiling must be discontinued sooner. 

When the boiling pan took the place of the iron 
kettle the process was wonderfully shortened. My 
father and Jacob Upp had a camp on the Lightland. 
between the Tiffin road and Wm. Riddles, where they 
opened one thousand trees one spring. The sap was 
all boiled in kettles; the pan had not yet come into 
use. 



78 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 

In October, 1864, while the great civil war was 
thundering around Richmond, Va. and Atlanta, Ga. 
and echoeing all over the country the terrible strug- 
gle, I, with two hundred other conscripts, was wait- 
ing on Johnson's Island to be sent to the front for 
active service in the field. 

There were at that time 15,000 rebel prisoners 
of war, and a suflScient number of Union troops to 
guard them, on the island. The prisoners were held 
in comfortable barracks and the troops were mostly 
quartered in army tents. There were also cottages 
and storage buildings for oflBcers and supplies. Ar- 
tillery and infantry were in evidence. The Michi- 
gan, a prominent government gun-boat then, a man 
of war, which has since been changed and is now 
called the "Woolvarine," and who, then as now, 
was patrolling the upper lakes, was lying in the 
bay near the city of Sandusky, just three miles from 
the island. 

One beautiful moonlight night our slumbers were 
abruptly broken ofE by the angry sounding of the 
Long Roll. The men sprang to arms; the lines 
were formed; the guns were manned; and the 
Michigan came steaming across the bay in battle 
array. Everything, as quickly as possible assumed 
the aspect of battle. Of course, we private soldiers 
knew at the time but little of the cause of this 
great commotion, but the reader may judge of its im- 
portance when I state that this affair had a close 
relation to the assassination of the immortal Lin- 
coln. It was thought at the time, that the South 



History of Richmond Township. 79 

had instigated tlie assassination, but the South gen- 
erally deplored the atrocious crime as well as we, 
fearing that it would cause a renewal of hostilities. 
The facts are these, viz.: 

A conspiracy had been concocted in the West 
House in Sandusky city, to turn the 15,000 rebel 
prisoners on Johnson's Island free. The plan was. 
to go out on the lake, capture a steamer, run her 
over to Canada, equip her with men and arms, run 
back to the island, surprise the garrison and accom- 
plish their object. 

The conspirators actually captured the boat. It 
was the "Philo Parsons," but their plan failed. When 
they had captured the boat they put the crew in 
irons bound the rest and were sanguine of success. 
The engineer, however, had not yet been taken in 
hand He caught onto the conspiracy and hastily 
took a sledge and knocked off a piece of the engine 
which disabled her, and threw it into the lake. The 
boat was not run to Canada, but went adrift. The 
conspirators were captured; court-martialed; con- 
victed and sentenced to be shot. 

Now one of those conspirators was a cousin of 
J Wilkes Booth. When Booth heard of the predica- 
ment of his cousin, he swore that his cousin should 
not be shot. Booth went to Washington, got one 
of the United States Senators to take him to Presi- 
dent Lincoln. They awoke the President in the 
morning at three o'clock. Booth began to plead for 
the life of his cousin. At first the President was 
very stern and said, "If I pardon high treason my 
armies will be disintegrated. I can't do it." But 
Booth got down upon his knees, between Lincoln s 



80 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

feet, and plead as only Booth could plead, until he 
had both Senator and President in tears. At last 
the President said, "Stand up on your feet like a 
man, Mr. Booth, your cousin will be pardoned." 

The Senator and Booth walked out. In the 
morning when business hours opened President Lin- 
coln walked over to Secretary Seward's oflBce and 
said to Secretary Seward, "I wish that you would 
write out this man's pardon." 

"I want to know what you are going to pardon 
that man for?" said Seward. 

"Well, I promised to pardon him," said Lincoln, 

"Well," said Seward, "If you pardon that man, 
you will accept my resignation. I had a right to be 
counseled in this matter, and if you pardon treason 
I'll quit." 

Lincoln walked out. The man was not pardoned 
but shot, as were his confederates in the crime. 
Then Booth swore that Lincoln and Seward's lives 
should avenge the life of his cousin. The world 
knows the sequel. 

It was in the summer of 1863, New Washington, 
in Crawford county, Ohio, was surrounded with troops 
sent up from Johnson's Island, who took fourteen 
prisoners back with them. The writer was at Ply- 
mouth the night of the occurrence and saw the troops. 

VALUABLE RECEIPTS. 

COUGH REMEDY— No. 1. 

5 cents worth Elecompaine root; 5 cents worth 
of Spignet root; 5 cents worth of Cumfrey root; 5 



History of Richmond Township. 81 

cents worth of Horehound; 2 quarts rain water; 
boil down to one quart, then add 5 cents worth of 
extract of Licorice and 10 cents worth of Rocli 
Candy. Dose a teaspoonful. 

FOR RHEUMATISM— No. 2. 

Mix one-half pint of good whisky with one ounce 
of Toris Compound. Take tablespoonful before eat- 
ing and at bedtime. 

FOR CATARRH— No. 3. 

Glycerine, 2 ounces; Borax, 1 Dram; Carbolic 
Acid, 12 drops; Aqua, 1 pint. Use atomizer to spray 
nostrils and throat. 

FOR COUGH— No. 4. 

5 cents worth of Rock Candy; 5 cent stick Lico- 
rice; 1 pound Brown Sugar; one-half package Hore- 
hound. Boil and strain the Horehounc Add the rest 
and boil thick. 

TO EXTERMINATE BED BUGS— No. 5. 
Insects of any kind, use Sippadilla. 

STOMACH TROUBLE— No. 6. 

Tinct. Cardoman, 1 ounce; Tinct. Rheubarb, one- 
half ounce; Essence of Pepsin, 1 ounce; Elix. 
Cinchom, 2 ounces. Teaspoonful after meals. 

LIVER; KIDNEYS— No. 7. 
Fluid Extract of Dandelion, one-half ounce; Com- 



82 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

pound Kargon, 1 ounce; Compound Syrup Sarsa- 
parilla, 3 ounces. One teaspoonful dose after meals. 

FRUIT PRESERVATIVE— No. 8 

Pack as closely as possible in can or jar, then 
cover with water containing one-fourth ounce of 
Salicylic Acid dissolved in 1 ounce of alcohol and 2 
pounds of sugar to each gallon of water used. 

FOR KEEPING CORN— No. 9. 

Proceed as above (No. 8) except use 6 pwt. 
Salicylic Acid dissolved in 1 ounce of alcohol and 5 
ounces of salt to each gallon of water used. Soak 
in water before using, 

FOR PICKLING CUCUMBERS, ONIONS, ETC.— 
No. 10. 

Cover with vinegar containing 4 pwt. Salicylic 
Acid dissolved in 1 ounce of alcohol, 4 ounces of salt 
to each gallon of water used. Spice to suit taste. 

TO PRESERVE CIDER— No. 11. 

Dissolve 1 ounce of Salicylic Acid in 4 ounces 
of alcohol. Draw one gallon from the barrel, stir 
well into this, then stir this into the barrel. 

TO CURE BEEF— No. 12. 

For 100 pounds of beef, nine pounds of salt, two 
ounces of saltpeter, two ounces of black pepper, and 
one pint of molasses. Pack your beef in a cask and 
put all this mixture over it. Then pour boiling wa- 



History of Richmond Township. 83 

ter over it until covered. Cover tight and you will 
liave corned beef that will keep a year. 

ANOTHER BEEF CURE— No. 13. 

100 pounds beef; 6 pounds salt; 2 pounds sugar; 
2 ounces saltpeter; one-half ounce baking soda and 
4 gallons of water. 

A CURE FOR SPAVIN IN HORSES— No. 14. 
Caustic Balsam. 

HARNESS BLACKING— No. 15. 

3 ounces Beeswax; 4 ounces Ivory Black; 1 pint 
Neats-foot Oil; 2 ounces Castile Soap; 2 ounces Lard; 
1 ounce Aloes. Boil and cool. 

THE GOVERNMENT HARNESS DRESSING— 
No. 16. 

1 gallon Neats-foot Oil; 2 pounds Bayberry Tal- 
low; 2 pounds Beeswax; 2 pounds Beef Tallow. 
Put the above into a pan over a moderate fire. When 
thoroughly dissolved add 2 quarts of Caster Oil, then 
ivhile on the fire stir in one ounce of Lamp Black. 
Mix well and strain through a fine cloth to remove 
sediment. This is great for leather of all kinds. 

CURE FOR CHICKEN CHOLERA— No. 17. 

One tablespoonful of salt and one of pulverized 
alum to one quart of meal. If the chickens are too 
sick to eat, give them pills of this mixture. Repeat 
the dose. 



84 l^oster of [Richmond Soldiers and 

MUCILAGE— No. 18. 

The best quality is made by dissolving clear glue 
in equal volumes of water and vinegar and adding 
one-fourth of an equal volume of alcohol and a small 
quantity of alum dissolved in water. 

CURE FOR HOG CHOLERA— No. 19. 

Charcoal, 1 pound; Sulphur, 1 pound; Sodium 
Chloride, 2 pounds; Sodium Bicarbonate, 2 pounds; 
Sodium Hyposulphite, 2 pounds; Sodium Sulphate, 
1 pound; Antimony Sulphate, 1 pound. Pulverize 
and thoroughly mix. 

The above is the best in the Bureau of Animal 
Industry at Washington, D. C, and is worth more 
than many times the cost of this book. 

HORSE-CURE FOR GREASE HEEL— No. 20. 

One ounce of Opium; one and a half ounces of 
Sugar of Lead; one quart of Milk. 

TO MAKE A BUSHEL BOX— No. 21. 

12 inches deep; 13 inches wide, and 15 inches 
long. 

ANOTHER— No. 22. 

13 1-2 inches wide; 23 inches long, 8 inches deep. 

FOR CORNS; HARD OR SOFT— No. 23. 

Ten cents worth of strong Acetic Acid and a 
small-sized Camel's hair brush. With the brush ap- 



History of Richmond Township, 85 

ply the acid freely to the corn, for three or four 
nights In succession, being careful not to get more 
on the surrounding skin than can be avoided. 

FOR BURNS, SCALDS, ETC.— No. 24. 

Where the skin is not broken use Chloroform. 
This will stop the pain at once. In the absence of 
chloroform, use vinegar. When the skin is broken and 
the part is raw, use the following: Olive Oil by 
weight, six parts. Carbolic Acid, pure, one part. 
Shake well until thoroughly mixed, then apply to the 
parts with soft brush or feather and cover with cot- 
ton moistened with same. This will stop all pain 
immediately. It is by far the best remedy known. 

DIPHTHERIA (SORE THROAT)— No. 25. 

One-half pint cider vinegar; one-half pint rain 
water; two pounds loaf sugar; measure, then sim- 
mer one hour (do not boil), then add enough vinegar 
to replace what the simmer reduced. Put one tea- 
spoonful ground blood root in before simmering. 
Dose to adult one teaspoonful. 

FOR ASTHMA. 
Use Malta Yerbine. — Mrs. Clay Holtz. 

HOW TO PRODUCE COLORS. 

Brown — Made with red and black. Bright Brown 
— Carmine, yellow and black. Rose — Lake and 
white. Chestnut — Brown and white. Cream — 
White, yellow and Venetian red. Purple — Carmine, 



86 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

and blue. Lead Color — White and black. Pearl — 
Blue and lead color. Pearl Gray — White, blue and 
black. Silver Gray — Indigo and lamp black. Pink — 
White and carmine. Chocolate — Black and Venetian 
red. French White — Purple and white. Green — 
Blue and yellow. Pea Green — Green and white. 
Dark Green — Green and black. Bright Green — White 
and green. Orange — Red and yellow. Flesh Color — 
White, lake and vermilion. Olive — Red, blue, black 
and yellow. Buft — Yellow, white and red. Vermil- 
ion — Carmine and yellow. Straw Color — White and 
yellow. Lavender — Carmine, ultramarine and white. 
Sky Blue — White and ultramarine. UmT)er — White, 
yellow, red and black. Drali — Umber, white and 
Venetian red. Use white to produce light tints and 
black to produce dark. 



History of Richmond Townstiip, 87 



CHAPTER VIII. 

In closing this volume, which has heen written 
and compiled under great physical affliction, our only 
regret is that we could not secure better data, and 
had not the ability to enter upon more enlarged re- 
search for information. The task now is quite dif- 
ferent, whatever it may be, than roving in the forest 
in boyhood day or coon hunting at night. The wild 
turkey, deer, raccoon, opossum, gray, black and fox 
squirrel, wood-chuck, mink, weasel and even musk- 
rat were targets for the gun or game for the dog. 
The ax, cross-cut saw and maul and wedge in con- 
stant use, piling and burning chunks, hauling logs 
and staves, plowing in new ground, hoeing corn, 
hunting in the woods for missing cows, shelling 
corn for milling, digging potatoes, husking corn, 
making and mending fences, skating, sleighing, at- 
tending church or night school, oh! this busy world 
is all alive. Let us not set it ajar, but help along 
for the welfare of future generations. 

The pioneers of Richmond are nearly all gone 
to their reward. James Hutchinson, Harriet Rog- 
ers, Ed Franklin, John Hoyles, Mrs. Frederick, 
Ebinger being among the oldest now. 

Thus the chariot of time is moving us on, the 
hosts of the Almighty are marching and we are 
nearing our eternal Home. If so much can be 
crowded into a short lifetime, as the foregoing pages 
show, how about the broad expanse of an endless 
existence beyond the skies where no clouds ever 



88 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and 

darken the perpetual sunshine of endless day? In 
Father's house of many mansions, that Home of the 
soul, where so many of the ancestors of this gen- 
eration now (the fathers and mothers) repose, I 
expect ere long to take up my permanent abode. 
Lodging free. Boarding gratis. Recreation thrown 
in. Time eternal. Pleasures immortal. Society 
of saints and angels perpetual. Loved ones here long 
parted, there forever united, my God, can it be? 
"When we've been there ten thousand years, 

Bright, shining as the sun; 
We've no less days to sing his praise. 

Than when we first begun." 

Here we are prone to look backward to the time 
when we could say, ''We are all here." There sits 
father in his arm chair, mother, God bless her, see 
her silvery locks and thinning lips, she, too, is grow- 
ing old. And here are brother and sister, yes! we 
are all — all here!" 

Now we are compelled to say, "We're not all 
here! Some are away! The clead ones dear are 
not here. And so we scan the lonely hills of time 
and indeed wonder if it be true, that time is the 
soother of all our sorrows? 

But in planting firmly upon God's word, the 
Holy Bible, we look forward with an assurance, be- 
gotten of Him, and by Faith, "which is the sub- 
stance of things hoped for, the evidence of things 
not seen," (King James version) we know that, 
"There is a land of pure delight. 

Where saints immortal reign, 
Eternal day excludes the night, 

And pleasures banish pain." 



History of Richmond Townsliip. 89 

"And there shall he no more death, neither sor- 
row nor crying, no more pain, for the former things 
are passed away." Rev. 21:4. 

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, 
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may 
enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 
22:14. 

DEAR READER. 

May I make this last appeal to you? This Home 
of the soul is for you and for me. It is a personal 
matter. I hope you have been interested in reading 
the foregoing pages, and I hope we may now take the 
parting hand in good friendship; but ten times ten 
thousand times had I rather know that you have 
chosen Jesus Christ as the Captain of your Salva- 
tion and have his love shed abroad in^ your heart, 
your name written in Heaven. If so, then we shall 
meet again on the shores of immortality. Oh! God 
grant that it may be so! 



j J. E. Wheeler & Co J 

I Opera House Block, Chicago, Ohio * 

) DRY GOODS I 

? Carpets and Draperies, Wall Paper, ^ 
I Ladies' Skirts, Suits, Win- t 

f ter Wraps and I 

I FURS 1 

? ONE PRICE.-THE LOWEST S 

I At all seasons you will find this store \ 
f liberally stocked with a complete i 
\ and up-to-date assortment of the \ 
\ various lines carried in a first class ^ 
I Dry Goods store. Our House fur- I 
"* nishing Department is replete with 1 
the most approved styles in Draperies, t 
Floor Coverings and Wall Paper. I 



GROCERY ! 

CHICAGO, OHIO 

SYKES & BYRER 



^ 



A Full, Ever Ready Supply 
of Teas, Coffee, Fruits,^eg- 

etables. Oysters, Crackers, 
Canned Goods, Spices, Ex- 
tracts. Syrup, etc* ^ ^ ^ 



GROCERIES 



FOR 



Hardware 



AND 



Implements 



AND 



Wagons 

AND 8 

Buggies 



g 



8 



I Trimmer & Schwartz 

§ CHICAGO, OHIO 

e«eeeeeeeee«eeeeee«eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 



♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 

i H. W. HOFFMAN \ 

I Chicago, Ohio | 




I PURE FOOD I 
I GROCERIES I 



t Sole Agent For J 

I Chase & Sanborn Coffee & Tea | 

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 



B„ R FINK & CO. 

Dealers in High Grade 

3nmxtnvt 

AT LOWEST PRICES 



Also Agent for The New Home 

Sewing Machine and all Sewing 

Machine Supplies 



UNDERTAKING 
A SPECIALTY 



PHONE 35 

193 Myrtle Ave. CHICAGO, OHIO 



THE 

CHICAGO TIMES 

L. E. SIMMONS, Prop. 

Gives more news each week 
about the people of Richmond 
township than all other Huron 
county newspapers combined. 

It is Richmond's home paper. 
If you are interested in Richmond 
you will surely want the Times 
in your home. It is a weekly 
letter from home. 

Subscription - = = $1.25 a year 



I The 'Best Ttace 

I To Sell Your 

:i Butter and Eggs 

I r 

^ ALSO i; 

t ii 

The "Best Store! 

To Get Your 

Groceries and Provisions 



\J. S, KEIFER 

142 N. Main Street 

CHICAGO OHIO 



s<g4&«HS^<g4«<H&<H&<::4&<:«:<!'^<£:«^Er«<Er^ 



THE HOME 

SAVINGS AND BANKING 

COMPANY 



CHICAGO, OHIO 

PAID IN CAPITAL $25,000.00 

SURPLUS AND UNDIVIDEO PROFITS - 10,000.00 

COMMERCIAL AND SAVINGS BANKING 

We extend every courtesy and 
favor consistent with safe 
banking. 

4 per cent, paid on Savings 
and Trust Deposits. 

YOUR BUSINESS SOLICITED 



>»»>l<»»>tl«»»l 



l>»««*«»««< 



l«*«»t«»«»»»««»»»«»< 



TAKING GOOD CARE 
OF YOU 

That's a part of my business, 
seeing that you get the kind of 
Clothing best suited for you, the 
fit perfect, the style right and 
the price right. 



WILLIAM GLICK 



MY MOTTO 

A 

Square 

Deal 

For 

Every 

Man 



Clothing, 

Hats, 
Shoes and 
Furnishings 



MY RULE 

One Price 

and 

5 
Per cent. 
Discount 
for Cash 



CHICAQO = = = OHIO 



i«» «»»»» ***-* »««<♦♦ .. m ... » ».>>»«>»»> »>».»».>>» I 



R. T, HEARSON 

The Druggist 

Established in 1876 

EVERYTHING IN DRUGS 
ATTICA, OHIO 

THE BEELMAN MFG. AND LBR. GO. 

CHICAGO, OHIO 

Dealers in all kinds of Builders* Sup- 
plies* J- Lime, Cement and Building 
Blocks* J' Hard Wall Plaster. ^ 
Lumber, Lath, Shingles, Sash, Doors, 
Blinds, Interior Finishing a Specialty* 
Estimates cheerfully given at all times. 

THE BEELMAN MFG. AND LBR. CO. 

CHICAGO, OHIO 

Hearson & Ernest general line of Hardware. 
Everything in Farm Machinery. Roofing 
and Spouting a Specialty. 

J* R^ Strandlers 

Old Stand ATTICA, OHIO 



SUGGESTIVE THERAPEUTICS 

Mr* George Engelhart 

t96 W» Emarald Ave Chicago, O* 

Graduate of the Weltmer Institute of Suggestive Ther- 
apeutics, Nevada, Mo. Every known disease cured 
without medicine or Surgery. 

W. W. CHRISTIAN 



Drugs^ Medicines^ 
Stationery and Sundries 

CHICAGO, OHIO 

HOTEL MYERS 

We aim to Please 

Q. W. FINK, Proprietor 
ATTICA = = OHIO 



W. S. Clark & Company 

Up-to-Date Hardware 
Heating, Plumbing 
and Gas Fitting 

W. S. ClarR & Company 
sTwEAVE^" 



DEALER IN 



First Class Furniture 
Undertaking a Specialty 

ATTICA - - OHIO 



I 



J. N. STARR 

Starr's Drug Store is known as a modern store. 
We always have all of the most popular Remedies 
as well as the Toilet Specialties of which our stock 
is full and complete. To get better acquainted we 
invite you to make our store a call, then you will 
decide that we have the goods to please the people. 

We have a complete line of Wall Paper as good 
as the best, also Edison Phonographs and Records, 
Books, Kodaks, Stationery, Paints and Oils, Fancy 
Goods. 

Be sure to come and see us whether you need 
anything or not, you are always welcome at 

Starr's Drug Store, - Attica, Ohio 



A Word to the Farmers 

A Checking Account with a Bank is a great 
convenience and will enable you to keep account 
of everything you sell off the farm during the 
year. 

Pay all your Billt by Check. You will know 
for what every dollar is paid out, and the can- 
celed checks will be undisputable receipts when 
returned to you by the Bank. 

It costs you nothing to try it and we will be 
pleased to assist you. 

Lester Sutton & Sons 

BANKERS 
Attica, - - - Ohio 



I 



LLOYD & RETTIG 



ATTORNEYS AT LAW 

No. 941 -44 Nicholas Bldg., Toledo, Ohio 

ITioirErsHEiDLEY 

A. E. HURST, Proprietor 

Under New Management 



Everything first-class 
and Up-to-Datc * * 

Special Attention Given the Traveling Public 

CHICAGO - - - - OHIO 



>^^.^^» 



DR. E. V. BUCKINGHAM 



PHYSICIAN and SURGEON 



CHICAGO - = = OHIO 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




